The Chartered Institute of Information Security (CIISec) has launched its Nuclear Sector Hub. It’s led by CIISec fellow Mark Kendrew, who’s CISO (chief information security officer) of the National Nuclear Laboratory. The hub will work on collaboration amongst a dispersed workforce; encouraging best practice; improving the skills and experience of nuclear cyber security professionals; and helping to attract recruits.
Amanda Finch, CEO of CIISec said: “As a source of low-carbon power, the nuclear sector is a critical industry as the UK increasingly reduces its reliance on fossil fuels to create a greener future. With its importance to the UK economy continuing to grow, it’s never been more important to ensure that the sector is well-positioned to fight cyber threats. Key to this will be attracting and retaining a diverse pool of professionals into the industry, and ensuring they have the right skills to protect this unique infrastructure.”
The Nuclear Hub was unveiled at the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s Civil Nuclear Cyber Security Conference. The sector as a whole supports 60,000 jobs across the whole nuclear fuel cycle – from enrichment to decommissioning and waste management. Given the sheer number of people working within the industry, it can be a challenge to promote a cyber culture, CIISec remarks.
Amanda Finch added: “The nuclear industry, like many industries, is suffering a skills shortage. The objective of the Nuclear Hub is to highlight that the nuclear sector is an accessible industry to get into – many skills are transferable and there are opportunities within it for everyone. Encouraging diverse and fresh talent into the industry, and then nurturing them throughout their careers, needs to be a priority. Without this, the industry will remain stagnant: unable to keep pace with and remain resilient against cyber threats.”
Mark Kendrew added: “I am delighted to be leading this new Community Hub that will form an integral part of HM Government’s Civil Nuclear Cyber Strategy – overcoming the geographic spread of our nuclear workforce to enable sharing of best practice; promoting information security careers within our sector; and developing our people against the nationally approved CIISec Skills Framework.”
For more, contact [email protected] and reference the Nuclear Sector Hub.
Photo by Mark Rowe; Torness nuclear power station near Dunbar, September dawn.
