Abstract
This chapter examines potential attack vectors that exist in a nuclear power plant and correlates the likelihood of an attack from each vector. The focus is on the boron monitoring system, which directly affects the reactivity in the core; cyber attacks on this system can lead to increased core wear, unsafe reactivity levels and poor power performance. A mockup model is developed using open-source software and hardware, which is tested to evaluate the potential of cyber attacks. A man-in-the-middle attack is implemented to demonstrate a cyber attack and its potential effects. Additionally, a redundancy-based cyber attack mitigation method is implemented using a hardware device that compares the input/output values of multiple programmable logic controllers. The approach for modeling general attack and defense steps is applicable to industrial control systems in the energy sector.
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MacLean, T., Borrelli, R., Haney, M. (2019). Cyber Security Modeling of Non-Critical Nuclear Power Plant Digital Instrumentation. In: Staggs, J., Shenoi, S. (eds) Critical Infrastructure Protection XIII. ICCIP 2019. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology, vol 570. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34647-8_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34647-8_5
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