The Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) admitted to a malware attack on one of the computers in Kudankulam nuclear power plant, Tamil Nadu.

What was the attack?

• The NPCIL admitted that computer systems at the Kudankulam nuclear power station had been infected with malware since early September 2019.
• The NPCIL infection is said to be caused by Dtrack.
• Dtrack is a Trojan virus that creates backdoors into computer networks.
• This was originally developed and commonly used by North Korean hackers with state backing.
• However, there are many variations of Dtrack, and the code may have been adapted by another group.

What were the other recent attacks?

• There have been multiple ransomware assaults on electric power billing systems across the world.
• Known cyberattacks on Indian power sector assets include the -

1. November 2017 malware attack on the Tehri Dam in Uttarakhand
2. ransomware attack on West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company in May 2017
3. attack on Rajasthan’s discom (February 2018)
4. attack on Haryana’s discoms (March 2018)

• Kudankulam is high on the list of such targets because it is both part of the nuclear programme, as well as the power grid.

What is the looming threat?

• Power grids are a tempting target for terrorists, in addition to being vulnerable in the case of hostilities with any other nation.
• Cyber-threat researchers estimate that a large number of assets on India’s national power grid could be vulnerable to attacks.
• Cyber-attacks on nuclear installations and other power sector assets have become increasingly common.
• Some attacks have been carried out by state actors, while others are by cybercriminals to steal data, or extract ransom.
• The infamous Stuxnet attack on Iran’s nuclear sector in 2010 is believed to have set back its nuclear programme by years.
• Evidently, an aggressive cyber-assault could cause a nationwide outage.

What are the challenges to ensuring security?

• The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) claims to be aware of these vulnerabilities.
• It is also reported to have issued advisories in many instances.
• However, its scope is limited as it is the responsibility of the organisation owning the asset to protect it.
• It is also true that much of the equipment on the power grid is old.
• They are based on outdated chips with vulnerabilities that cannot be patched.
• The linking of all the regional grids to the national grid makes it easier to supply power to any region on demand.
• However, it also makes the entire infrastructure more vulnerable to contagion from cyber-attacks.

What are the measures in this regard?

• The government has been trying to set up a system for cyber-protection of infrastructure.
• The National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) is proposed to be the coordinator.
• Dedicated sectoral CERTs, such as CERT-Thermal-NTPC and CERT-Transmission-POWERGRID would be responsible for guarding power assets.
• However, the government has to address the bureaucratic hassles in assigning the responsibility.

What is the way forward?

• Ramping up security across the power grid should be a strategic priority for the government.
• A holistic plan must be devised and implemented to prevent disastrous cyber attacks.