Cyber-security threats have now emerged as the defining global information security challenges. The IAEA and its Member States are now seized by the issue of Cyber-security.
In accordance with the IAEA guideline on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material and Nuclear Facilities, the Agency made available for Member States the Design Basis Threat (DBT) tool and recommends development of a notional DBT. DBTs contain sensitive or classified information. Thus, it is crucial for national authorities balance information protection with the need to share information with operators and other security organizations.
Recognizing the importance assigned to the DBT tool a number of IAEA Member States requested the Agency to provide technical assistance to present a methodology for developing, maintaining, and using a DBT concerning cyber security.
On the basis of this mandate, the Agency organized consultancy meeting on Addressing Current and Emerging Cyber Threats in Security Planning, held from 21 to 25 January 2013 at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna.
UAE participated along with other Governments and nuclear regulatory officials from Member States to review current cyber threats assessment strategies from other countries to identify good practices, challenges, and lessons learned that could be uses as a basis from implementing and validating computer security controls.
The use of a Cyber DBT is to date not universally practiced but it is the only strategy used by facilities to develop and verify cyber security controls.
Since last year’s meeting several countries have worked toward developing a methodology for developing a cyber DBT. This year, officials of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) joined the meeting to learn and leverage from their experiences in this effort.
More information is available on:
