Cybersecurity at nuclear installations accorded highest priority; AERB, external govt agencies assess security at plants: Centre

Kuda kulam
Nuclea
Powe
Pla t

Che ai:
The
U io
govt
o
Wed esday
i fo med
Lok
Sabha
that
secu ity
assessme ts
a e
co ducted
pe iodically
at
all
uclea
powe
pla t
sites
by
the
Atomic
E e gy
Regulato y
Boa d
(AERB)
a d
“exte al
govt
age cies.”I
a
w itte
eply
to
Co g ess
MP
Ma ickam
Tago e,
mi iste
of
state
i
the
P ime
Mi iste ’s
Office
Jite d a
Si gh
said
the
pla ts
also
co duct
i te al
secu ity
assessme ts.
“The
obse vatio s
made
a e
eviewed,
mo ito ed
a d
ecessa y
upg ades
a e
ca ied
out
fo
complia ce,”
he
said.Tago e
had
sought
details
of
thi d-pa ty
secu ity
audits
at
uclea
pla ts,
i cludi g
Kuda kulam,
a d
measu es
to
cou te
th eats
f om
d o es,
cybe attacks
a d
sabotage.
He
asked
whethe
a y
fo eig
o
suspected
state-spo so ed
cybe attack
attempts
had
bee
detected
du i g
the
past
th ee
yea s.The
Natio al
Allia ce
of
A ti- uclea
Moveme ts
u ged
the
U io
govt
ece tly
to
co stitute
a
commissio
of
i qui y
to
i vestigate
the
alleged
leak
of
files
elated
to
the
Kuda kulam
Nuclea
Powe
Pla t.
The
stateme t
comes
i
the
wake
of
a
a somwa e
g oup
epo tedly
publishi g
hu d eds
of
files
li ked
to
the
Kuda kulam
pla t
which
a e
said
to
be
highly
se sitive.

The
govt
did
ot
di ectly
disclose
whethe
a y
such
fo eig
o
state-spo so ed
attempts
had
bee
detected.
It
said
cybe secu ity
at
uclea
i stallatio s
was
acco ded
the
“highest
p io ity”,
with
co ti uous
mo ito i g
a d
su veilla ce
mecha isms
i
place.
P eve tive
measu es
i clude
access
co t ols,
egula
secu ity
audits,
vul e ability
assessme ts,
i cide t- espo se
mecha isms
a d
capacity-buildi g
p og ammes.
It
cited
CERT-i ’s
(I dia
Compute
Eme ge cy
Respo se
Team)
ole
i
issui g
ale ts
a d
adviso ies,
coo di ati g
espo ses
to
cybe
i cide ts
a d
ope ati g
the
Natio al
Cybe
Coo di atio
Ce t e.O
physical
secu ity,
Si gh
said
uclea
powe
pla ts
we e
equipped
with
pe imete
i t usio -detectio
systems,
access
co t ols,
CCTV
su veilla ce
a d
X- ay
baggage
i spectio
facilities.
The
AERB
co ducts
egulato y
i spectio s
cove i g
uclea
secu ity.Si gh
said
egulato y-app oved
eme ge cy
p epa ed ess
pla s
we e
i
place
at
eve y
uclea
powe
pla t,
i cludi g
Kuda kulam.
Exe cises
i volvi g
local
admi ist atio ,
secu ity
age cies
a d
pla t
autho ities
a e
co ducted
pe iodically,
a d
feedback
is
used
to
evise
a d
st e gthe
p epa ed ess
pla s.

Tabletop,
I teg ated
Comma d,
Co t ol
a d
Respo se
(ICCR)
exe cises
a e
held
o ce
eve y
two
yea s.
Mock
exe cises
a e
o ga ised
acco di g
to
the
Natio al
Disaste
Ma ageme t
Autho ity’s
schedule.
A
ICCR
exe cise
was
co ducted
at
the
Kuda kulam
uclea
powe
pla t
o
Ap il
15,
2025.The
govt
said
all
othe
uclea
powe
pla t
sites
had
co ducted
thei
latest
ICCR
exe cises
si ce
Sept
2024.
At
Kalpakkam,
a
off-site
eme ge cy
exe cise
i volvi g
the
dist ict
admi ist atio ,
was
co ducted
o
July
17,
2026,
with
a
i itiati g
eve t
f om
the
P ototype
Fast
B eede
Reacto .