• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
• /
• 2008.10b
• /
• pp.209-210
• /
• 2008

In the case of unauthorized individuals, systems and entities or process threatening the instrumentation and control systems of nuclear facilities using the intrinsic vulnerabilities of digital based technologies, those systems may lose their own required functions. The loss of required functions of the critical systems of nuclear facilities may seriously affect the safety of nuclear facilities. Consequently, digital instrumentation and control systems, which perform functions important to safety, should be designed and operated to respond to cyber threats capitalizing on the vulnerabilities of digital based technologies. To make it possible, the developers and licensees of nuclear facilities should perform appropriate cyber security program throughout the whole life cycle of digital instrumentation and control systems. Under the goal of securing the safety of nuclear facilities, this paper presents the KINS' regulatory position on cyber security program to remove the cyber threats that exploit the vulnerabilities of digital instrumentation and control systems and to mitigate the effect of such threats. Presented regulatory position includes establishing the cyber security policy and plan, analyzing and classifying the cyber threats and cyber security assessment of digital instrumentation and control systems.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.1
• /
• pp.138-145
• /
• 2019

With the application of digital technology to safety-critical infrastructures, cyber-attacks have emerged as one of the new dangerous threats. In safety-critical infrastructures such as a nuclear power plant (NPP), a cyber-attack could have serious consequences by initiating dangerous events or rendering important safety systems unavailable. Since a cyber-attack is conducted intentionally, numerous possible cases should be considered for developing a cyber security system, such as the attack paths, methods, and potential target systems. Therefore, prior to developing a risk-informed cyber security strategy, the importance of cyber-attacks and significant critical digital assets (CDAs) should be analyzed. In this work, an importance analysis method for cyber-attacks on an NPP was proposed using the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) method. To develop an importance analysis framework for cyber-attacks, possible cyber-attacks were identified with failure modes, and a PSA model for cyber-attacks was developed. For case studies, the quantitative evaluations of cyber-attack scenarios were performed using the proposed method. By using quantitative importance of cyber-attacks and identifying significant CDAs that must be defended against cyber-attacks, it is possible to develop an efficient and reliable defense strategy against cyber-attacks on NPPs.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
• /
• 2015.05a
• /
• pp.264-266
• /
• 2015

Currently as cyber threats grow up targeting nuclear power plants(NPP), licensees must guarantee that computer and information systems of nuclear facilities can be adequately protected against cyber attack. Especially critical system that cause illegal transfer of nuclear material and adverse impact to public safety need protecting. In this paper, we surveying the cyber threat examples targeted at NPP, and taxonomy the method of cyber security for NPPs in korea through analyzing the methodology to identify critical system and address cyber security controls for nuclear facilities.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.877-884
• /
• 2019

As technology advances, equipment installed in Nuclear facilities are changing from analog system to digital system. Nuclear facilities have been exposed to cyber threats as the proportion of computers and digital systems increases. As a result, interest in cyber security has increased and there has been a need to protect the system from cyber attacks. KINAC presented 101 cyber security controls for critical digital asset. However, this is a general measure that does not take into account the characteristics of digital assets. Applying all cyber security controls to critical digital assets is a heavy task and can be lower efficient. In this paper, we propose an effective cyber security controls by identifying the characteristics of critical digital assets and presenting proper security measures.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.867-875
• /
• 2019

Security awareness and training are becoming more important as cyber security incidents tend to increase in industrial control systems, including nuclear power plants. For effective cyber security awareness and training for the personnel who manage and operate the target facility, a TEST-BED is required that can analyze the impact of cyber attacks from the sensor level to the operation status of the nuclear power plant. In this paper, we have developed an HIL system for nuclear power plant cyber security training. It includes nuclear power plant status simulations and specific system status simulation together with physical devices. This research result will be used for the specialized cyber security training program for Korean nuclear facilities.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
• /
• v.53 no.3
• /
• pp.879-887
• /
• 2021

The nuclear supply chain attack surface is a large, complex network of interconnected stakeholders and activities. The global economy has widened and deepened the supply chain, resulting in larger numbers of geographically dispersed locations and increased difficulty ensuring the authenticity and security of critical digital assets. Although the nuclear industry has made significant strides in securing facilities from cyber-attacks, the supply chain remains vulnerable. This paper discusses supply chain threats and vulnerabilities that are often overlooked in nuclear cyber supply chain risk analysis. A novel supply chain cyber-attack surface diagram is provided to assist with enumeration of risks and to examine the complex issues surrounding the requirements for securing hardware, firmware, software, and system information throughout the entire supply chain lifecycle. This supply chain cyber-attack surface diagram provides a dashboard that security practitioners and researchers can use to identify gaps in current cyber supply chain practices and develop new risk-informed, cyber supply chain tools and processes.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Systems Engineering
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2018

In this work, a hardware based cryptographic module for the cyber security of nuclear power plant is developed using a system engineering approach. Nuclear power plants are isolated from the Internet, but as shown in the case of Iran, Man-in-the-middle attacks (MITM) could be a threat to the safety of the nuclear facilities. This FPGA-based module does not have an operating system and it provides protection as a firewall and mitigates the cyber threats. The encryption equipment consists of an encryption module, a decryption module, and interfaces for communication between modules and systems. The Advanced Encryption Standard (AES)-128, which is formally approved as top level by U.S. National Security Agency for cryptographic algorithms, is adopted. The development of the cyber security module is implemented in two main phases: reverse engineering and re-engineering. In the reverse engineering phase, the cyber security plan and system requirements are analyzed, and the AES algorithm is decomposed into functional units. In the re-engineering phase, we model the logical architecture using Vitech CORE9 software and simulate it with the Enhanced Functional Flow Block Diagram (EFFBD), which confirms the performance improvements of the hardware-based cryptographic module as compared to software based cryptography. Following this, the Hardware description language (HDL) code is developed and tested to verify the integrity of the code. Then, the developed code is implemented on the FPGA and connected to the personal computer through Recommended Standard (RS)-232 communication to perform validation of the developed component. For the future work, the developed FPGA based encryption equipment will be verified and validated in its expected operating environment by connecting it to the Advanced power reactor (APR)-1400 simulator.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.857-880
• /
• 2016

Due to an increasing number of cyberattacks globally, cybersecurity has become a crucial part of national security in many countries. In particular, the Digital Pearl Harbor has become a real and aggressive security threat, and is considered to be a global issue that can introduce instability to the dynamics of international security. Against this context, the cyberattacks that targeted nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the Republic of Korea triggered concerns regarding the potential effects of cyber terror on critical infrastructure protection (CIP), making it a new security threat to society. Thus, in an attempt to establish measures that strengthen CIP from a cybersecurity perspective, we perform a case study on the cyber-terror attacks that targeted the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co., Ltd. In order to fully appreciate the actual effects of cyber threats on critical infrastructure (CI), and to determine the challenges faced when responding to these threats, we examine factual relationships between the cyberattacks and their responses, and we perform analyses of the characteristics of the cyberattack under consideration. Moreover, we examine the significance of the event considering international norms, while applying the Tallinn Manual. Based on our analyses, we discuss implications for the cybersecurity of CI in South Korea, after which we propose a framework for strengthening cybersecurity in order to protect CI. Then, we discuss the direction of national policies.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
• /
• v.29 no.6
• /
• pp.1425-1435
• /
• 2019

The expanded application of digital controls has raised the issue of cyber security for nuclear facilities. To cope with this, the cyber security technical standard RS-015 for Korean nuclear facilities requires nuclear system developers to apply security functions, analyze known vulnerabilities, and test and evaluate security functions. This requires the development of procedures and methods for testing the suitability of security functions in accordance with the nuclear cyber security technical standards. This study derived the security requirements required at the device level by classifying the details of the technical, operational and administrative security controls of RS-015 and developed procedures and methods to test whether the security functions implemented in the device meet the security requirements. This paper describes the process for developing security function compliance test procedures and methods and presents the developed test cases.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.363-374
• /
• 2015

Instrumentation and control(I&C) system has been mainly designed and operated based on analog technologies in existing Nuclear Power Plants(NPPs). However, As the development of Information Technology(IT), digital technologies are gradually being adopted in newly built NPPs. I&C System based on digital technologies has many advantages but it is vulnerable to cyber threat. For this reason, cyber threat adversely affects on safety and reliability of I&C system as well as the entire NPPs. Therefore, the software equipped to NPPs should be developed with cyber security attributes from the initiation phase of software development life cycle. Moreover through cyber security assessment, the degree of confidence concerning cyber security should be measured and if managerial, technical and operational work measures are implemented as intended should be reviewed in order to protect the I&C systems and information. Currently the overall cyber security program, including cyber security assessment, is not established on I&C systems. In this paper, we propose cyber security assessment methods in the Software Development Life Cycle by drawing cyber security activities and assessment items based on regulatory guides and standard technologies concerned with NPPs.