The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Wednesday demanded a central investigation into a cyber attack at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu last month. The government-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India had admitted earlier in the day to the presence of malware in one of the computers of the plant, but claimed that none of the systems were affected due to the attack.
DMK chief MK Stalin asked the Centre to initiate an investigation into the lapses, and sought an explanation from the authorities on the breach. “The cyber attack on NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited) facilities is shocking and reveals the lack of adequate safety measures,” Stalin tweeted. “The Union Government must conduct a thorough inquiry into the lapses. The National Cyber Security Coordinator owes an explanation on the preparedness of such facilities.”
The power plant’s statement came a day after a Twitter user alleged that the Russian-built reactors’ domain controller-level access could have been compromised. However, a press release from the plant information officer on Tuesday categorically denied that a cyber attack was possible.
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday had demanded an explanation from the government regarding the cyber attack. According to NPCIL’s websites, it designs, constructs and runs nuclear power reactors in the country, currently operates 22 commercial nuclear power reactors with an installed capacity of 6,780 megawatts, according to its website.
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