A British government body tasked with cleaning up nuclear sites has opened a new cybersecurity hub designed to enhance knowledge sharing across the nuclear supply chain.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) opened the Group Cyberspace Collaboration Centre (GCCC) this week in Cumbria, close to Sellafield – which contains the world’s largest stockpile of plutonium.
The GCCC is described as a “multi-functional space” where cyber, digital and engineering experts can gather and share knowledge on how to defend against the latest cyber-threats, including by adopting emerging technologies like AI and robotics.
“The GCCC is further enhancing our collective ability to keep us safe, secure, resilient and sustainable in cyberspace. Enabling us to work together more closely means we can defend as one, benefiting the collective security of the individual organizations we serve,” said NDA CEO, David Peattie.
“When it comes to security, we are never complacent, and we continually invest in our expertise and our technology to further strengthen our capability.”
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The GCCC is just a few miles from Sellafield, which manages more nuclear waste than any other site of its kind. In October, Sellafield Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the NDA, was fined £332,500 ($437,440) for major cybersecurity failings between 2019 and 2023, including breaches of the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003.
In the first case of its kind, Sellafield Ltd pleaded guilty in June 2024 to all charges brought by the UK’s independent nuclear regulator, the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR). It was found to have failed to comply with an agreed cybersecurity plan by not ensuring adequate data protection or arranging annual OT/IT health checks.
ONR superintending inspector, Warren Cain, said at the opening of the GCCC that all nuclear sites must have strong cybersecurity systems in place to guard against digital threats.
“Cybersecurity is a key regulatory priority for the Office for Nuclear Regulation, and we welcome the NDA’s commitment to strengthen their cyber-defenses with this new specialist facility,” he added.
The NDA is tasked with cleaning up the UK’s oldest nuclear sites “safely, securely and cost effectively,” and includes Sellafield, Nuclear Restoration Services, Nuclear Waste Services and Nuclear Transport Solutions.