Distinguished Merit Award: Cyber Security

Alex Amos, Anna Shi, Dave Trask, and Richard Brown

For developing and hosting cyber security incident response exercises.

In 2018, CNL declared cyber security as a strategic research initiative within S&T, to address emergent threats to the security of digital instrumentation and controls systems that are critical for the safe operation of nuclear power plants and other constituents of current and future energy infrastructure. This was timely as cyber security requirements were issued by CSA (formerly Canadian Standards Association) in late 2014, and became a licensing condition for nuclear facilities in Canada. The strategic initiative enables CNL to focus resources in this area to advance the security capabilities of facilities and other critical infrastructure, and thereby the security of Canadians.

The cyber security incident response project is a key research area that is being executed as part of the strategic initiative, and responds to the need for facilities to demonstrate an effective response capability to cyber events. The research, which has culminated in four exercises being held, has resulted in new knowledge and capabilities that have contributed significant practical improvements in incident response that has been shared not only with Canadian nuclear power plants, but international facilities and government organizations.

The work has informed standards and regulation, it has established CNL as a leader in cyber security incident response thus improving the safety and security of Canadians, it has strengthened relationships with numerous national and international industry partners as listed above, and it opens up commercial opportunities in both nuclear and non-nuclear industries – all of these are performance goals that are consistent with CNL’s mission.