The British are terrified of the invasion of “atomic” kittens: Russian hackers are to blame

For years, Britain’s most dangerous nuclear site, the Sellafield nuclear complex, has been subject to cyber attacks, The Guardian newspaper reports. Cyber ​​groups linked to Russia and China were involved in the attacks. Authorities are unable to pinpoint when the complex’s IT systems were hacked, but the first breach was identified in 2015, when suspicious software was discovered on Sellafield’s computer networks. According to the publication, it is unclear whether the malware has been eliminated, which could imply that key functions such as radioactive waste movement, leak monitoring and fire testing have been compromised.

As for Sellafield, it is a nuclear complex on the Irish Sea coast, near the town of Seascale. At different periods, the complex produced weapons-grade plutonium, fuel for nuclear power plants and reprocessed irradiated nuclear fuel. From 1956 to 1983, the complex also functioned as a nuclear power plant.

Built in 1947, the complex started up its first graphite gas nuclear reactors just two years later. In 1957, a serious accident occurred, accompanied by a radioactive release. In 1995, the production of weapons-grade plutonium was stopped, and since then the complex has performed exclusively peaceful functions.

The Guardian describes Sellafield as “Europe’s most toxic nuclear site” and a “huge nuclear dump” in north-west England. Local residents have expressed concern about the spread of radiation through animals, including stray cats living in the area of ​​the site. They are even called “atomic kittens.” Accused of spreading radiation and swallows.

According to some sources, it is believed that foreign hackers may have gained access to various sensitive data associated with the facility. Sellafield is also a repository of emergency planning documents intended for use in the event of foreign aggression or emergencies in the UK.

At the same time, the full extent of data loss and possible ongoing risks to systems are difficult to assess. However, it is known that the nuclear complex has faced persistent cybersecurity failures in the past year, and management has been aware of cybercrime and critical vulnerabilities for at least 10 years.