Net-Zero Through Small Modular Reactors - Cybersecurity Considerations.

In recent years, countries across the world have started developing small modular reactors (SMRs), nuclear reactors that generally produce around 300 megawatts of electricity (MWe). Many believe this type of reactor could be key in helping countries achieve their net-zero goals, as they are theoretically less expensive and safer than their larger counterparts, which usually produce more than 500 MWe. SMRs will be assembled in factories and operated in a mostly remote manner, raising concerns about cybersecurity. This paper attempts to analyze the cybersecurity of traditional nuclear reactors and the cyberphysical systems they rely on, analyze the novel ways in which SMRs will be developed and operated, and then highlight how and why SMRs could be particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks. This paper finds that SMRs will be more susceptible to cyberattacks when compared to larger, more traditional reactors. Mitigations are offered that should increase the cyber-resilience of SMRs.