Sellafield Hack

An investigation by The Guardian has reported that the Sellafield nuclear site in the UK has been hacked by groups linked to Russia and China.

Nuclear Leaks, a year-long Guardian investigation, discovered that the hack and its potential effects have been consistently covered up by senior staff.

The Guardian also disclosed that Sellafield, which has over 11,000 employees, was placed into a form of “special measures” in 2022 for consistent failings on cybersecurity.

Sources said that breaches were first detected as far back as 2015, when experts realised sleeper malware (software that can lurk and be used to spy or attack systems), had been embedded in Sellafield’s computer networks.

It is still not known if the malware has been eradicated. It may mean that some of Sellafield’s most sensitive activities have been compromised.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) has confirmed that Sellafield is failing to meet its cyber standards. A spokesperson said: “Some specific matters are subject to ongoing investigations, so we are unable to comment further at this time.”

The situation at Sellafield is a huge concern given that the site has the largest store of plutonium on the planet.

Contact Romano Security Consulting today for help and advice on securing your organisation or managing a cyber attack.