Leveraging Drones to Improve Nuclear Facility Security and Safety

nuclear.jpg

Hinkley Point B Power Station in Bridgwater, southwest England 

The growing uptake of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), brings both unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Drones simultaneously represent a threat to privacy and a potential commercial boon (e.g. for parcel delivery); they serve concomitantly as weapons and as vital tools of military intelligence. This same mix of threat and opportunity is apparent in the nuclear industry. Drones pose important security challenges to nuclear power plants. Yet if the technology is harnessed properly, drones might not only be able to solve the problems they have created but also provide additional security benefits.

Illicit drone flights over nuclear power plants in France and Belgium in recent months – along with similar incidents in the United States that were not made public – have revealed the lack of adequate defences against drones at nuclear facilities. Shooting drones down is difficult and jamming them risks interfering with nuclear plant operations. Conventional radar cannot detect small drones that fly low to the ground. Moreover, UAVs could carry payloads capable of damaging spent fuel pools.

However, news media reports on a prototype for an ‘intercept drone’ designed to take down other drones. The intercept drone has cameras pointing in all directions that scan for nearby drones. It then flies above a target drone, dropping a cord that tangles the target drone’s rotor blades and causes it to crash. While the company’s marketing strategy is focused on celebrities and others concerned with protecting their privacy, such devices could potentially also be used by the nuclear industry to prevent drone flyovers.

The technology is still in an early phase, and has a number of challenges to overcome. The speed, agility and real-time image processing required to catch the target drone drains battery power rapidly, giving the intercept drone a flight time of about two minutes. The technology is also ineffective against ‘fixed wing’ drones that lack rotor blades. And using them over nuclear plants would be risky. The target drone would need to be taken down before it reached the plant perimeter, as a crash over the plant itself could damage equipment on the ground. Nonetheless, the concept holds promise.

Beyond enabling the interception of drone flyovers, new drones fitted with devices such as cameras, radiation sensors and heat sensors have applications in perimeter monitoring, radiation detection and disaster response. They can provide a complement to current perimeter monitoring measures at nuclear facilities. Most nuclear plants use a combination of CCTV cameras and vehicle and foot patrols to monitor for unauthorized intrusions or other anomalies. However, CCTV coverage may have ‘blind spots’. Patrols cannot always be present given the size of nuclear facilities, or access certain areas either by vehicle or by foot. Several UK nuclear facilities are evaluating the use of camera drones to provide coverage to fill these gaps.

Drones can also supplement radiation monitoring at nuclear plants. Nuclear facilities currently use static monitoring points to detect radiation leaks.  However, they do not offer complete coverage and are susceptible to false alarms. For example, a static monitoring point recently detected radiation at the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing site in Britain, causing the facility to shut down temporarily. However, the radiation was later found to be from a naturally occurring source outside the site, having been blown in by the wind. In such an instance, using new drones equipped with radiation sensors could rapidly and more accurately identify the source, thus avoiding a costly shutdown.

Furthermore, UAVs can be used in disaster response and clean-up operations at nuclear facilities where it would not be safe to send a human. Following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, responders initially relied on manned helicopters to gather radiation, imaging and temperature data – the tsunami destroyed 23 of the plant’s 24 static monitoring points – to evaluate the effectiveness of efforts to cool the reactors. This exposed the crew to radiation. Drones outfitted with sensors and cameras were subsequently deployed, as unmanned aircraft can safely get much closer to the ground and thus provide more accurate and detailed readings and imaging. They can be operated from up to 10 kilometres away, and their relatively low cost also means they can be replaced if they become contaminated. Several new models are currently being tested in the ongoing clean-up operations.

Drones currently represent equal parts threat and opportunity for nuclear facilities. Given that drone capabilities are increasing rapidly, the effects of whichever predominates now will be amplified in the future. It is thus essential to tip the balance in favour of UAV technologies that will enhance nuclear security and safety.

Caroline Baylon is Research Associate, Science, Technology & Cyber Security,
International Security Department. 
Royal Institute of International Affairs
 
See more at: http://ow.ly/PGvej
 
 
« New Dutch Law Would Allow Bulk Surveillance
Bitcoins Berlin Launch for Cashless Greeks »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

Syxsense

Syxsense

Syxsense brings together endpoint management and security for greater efficiency and collaboration between IT management and security teams.

Jooble

Jooble

Jooble is a job search aggregator operating in 71 countries worldwide. We simplify the job search process by displaying active job ads from major job boards and career sites across the internet.

ManageEngine

ManageEngine

As the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, ManageEngine prioritizes flexible solutions that work for all businesses, regardless of size or budget.

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

Globalscape

Globalscape

Globalscape is a leader in secure data exchange solutions.

Institute for Cyber Security Innovation - Royal Holloway

Institute for Cyber Security Innovation - Royal Holloway

The Institute for Cyber Security Innovation aims to bring together Academia, Industry and Government to be a catalyst for applied research and innovation in cyber security policy and solutions.

LEADS

LEADS

LEADS is considered as a leading ICT Solution Provider and an IT partner of choice in Bangladesh.

Aptible

Aptible

Security Management and Compliance for Developers. Aptible helps teams pass information security audits and deploy audit-ready apps and databases.

Ledger

Ledger

Ledger is a leader in security and infrastructure solutions for cryptocurrencies and blockchain applications using its proprietary technology.

ENLIGHTENi

ENLIGHTENi

ENLIGHTENi are the platform to develop next-gen talent in Technology, Risk, and Cybersecurity. Our mission is to develop next-gen talent through challenge-based learning and team collaboration.

Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA)

Enterprise Ethereum Alliance (EEA)

EEA is a member-led industry organization whose objective is to drive the use of Ethereum blockchain technology as an open-standard to empower ALL enterprises.

Technology Law Alliance (TLA)

Technology Law Alliance (TLA)

Technology Law Alliance is a specialist IT law firm focussed on the fields of technology, outsourcing and e-commerce.

Networks Unlimited

Networks Unlimited

Networks Unlimited is a leading value-added distributor in Africa, providing technology solutions with a focus on security, networking, enterprise systems management and cloud technologies.

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence (CMMC COE)

Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence (CMMC COE)

CMMC COE is an IT-AAC sponsored public–private partnership that will be the focal point for entities seeking to achieve Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification.

Bleckwen

Bleckwen

Bleckwen is a proven fraud detection system that helps financial institutions build trust with customers.

ISMAC

ISMAC

ISMAC was founded to create a security solution that would work for smaller to medium as well as bigger corporations at an affordable price.

Epiphany Systems

Epiphany Systems

Epiphany enhances your defensive security controls by providing you with an offensive perspective. We expose the most likely attack paths to your most critical IT assets and users.

CodeHunter

CodeHunter

CodeHunter is a malware hunting SaaS platform designed to detect all variations of malware, known and unknown, without the need for source code or signatures.

BlueCat Networks

BlueCat Networks

BlueCat is the Adaptive DNS company. Our mission is to help the world’s largest organizations thrive on network complexity, from the edge to the core.

Tidal Cyber

Tidal Cyber

We formed Tidal for one simple reason—we believe that defenders need and deserve tools and services that make achieving the benefits of threat-informed defense practical and sustainable.

National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) - Thailand

National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) - Thailand

National Cyber Security Agency of Thailand is responsible for coordinating and implementing national cybersecurity policies, strategies, and initiatives.