"Cyber Threats and Nuclear Dangers"

November 5, 2014

Please see the following link for the most recent APLN/CNND Policy Brief:

Policy Brief No. 17  -  Cyber Threats and Nuclear Dangers
By Vincent Boulanin and Tanya Ogilvie-White
November 2014

Summary: The problem of commercial cyber espionage is insidious, widespread and ever-present, but many other cyber challenges are just as real, and some that currently seem abstract nevertheless need to be taken seriously. The nuclear domain is a case in point: nuclear weapons, materials and facilities are vulnerable to accidents, sabotage or theft, in incidents that can have a cyber dimension.  Cyber attacks on nuclear facilities are known to have occurred in the recent past, others could have gone unreported, and numerous scenarios can be envisaged that could have destabilizing or even catastrophic consequences for humankind. This Policy Brief explores cyber threats of varying degrees of probability in the civil and military nuclear spheres: it assesses the measures that are being taken to improve cyber security at nuclear facilities and makes recommendations for next steps to improve the governance of sensitive nuclear information.

These Policy Briefs are published jointly by the Centre for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (CNND) at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University’s College of Asia & the Pacific, and the Asia Pacific Leadership Network for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (APLN).  The Briefs in this series express the views of their authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of APLN members or the CNND. They are published to encourage debate on topics of policy interest and relevance regarding the existence and role of nuclear weapons.

The complete series of APLN/CNND Policy Briefs can be viewed here.

 

The Simons Foundation funds the Centre for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (CNND) and The Hon. Gareth Evans, A.C., Q.C. is Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Centre for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament (CNND), Chancellor of the Australian National University, and one of The Simons Foundation's Peace Leaders.