It’s been reported that Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility was attacked, causing a power failure at the site yesterday. According to Israeli media, the attack is rumored to have been due to an Israeli cyber attack.
<p>The attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran should be seen as a warning for every nation. Nuclear facilities will no doubt have some of the strongest security possible, with air gapped systems and robust countermeasures if the network is breached. However, if the reports are true and disruption was caused through a cyber attack, it yet again raises concern around the protection of critical national infrastructure around the world.</p> <p><br />It is also important to point out that this threat goes beyond nuclear power plants; traditional power plants and water facilities, for example, often rely on decades old systems that were not initially designed to interact with the internet, let alone repel malware. It is vital that governments pay close attention to the resilience of their critical infrastructures. Updating legacy systems and networks, combined with deeply embedded broad protection built into the core of the infrastructure, has never been so important.</p>
<p>The attack on the Natanz nuclear facility in Iran should be seen as a warning for every nation. Nuclear facilities will no doubt have some of the strongest security possible, with air gapped systems and robust countermeasures if the network is breached. However, if the reports are true and disruption was caused through a cyber attack, it yet again raises concern around the protection of critical national infrastructure around the world.</p> <p><br />It is also important to point out that this threat goes beyond nuclear power plants; traditional power plants and water facilities, for example, often rely on decades old systems that were not initially designed to interact with the internet, let alone repel malware. It is vital that governments pay close attention to the resilience of their critical infrastructures. Updating legacy systems and networks, combined with deeply embedded broad protection built into the core of the infrastructure, has never been so important.</p>