US, UK Prepare For Cyber-Nuclear Wargames

US, UK Prepare For Cyber-Nuclear Wargames

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The United States and Britain are planning a wargame simulating a cyber attack on a nuclear plant later this year. The allies are seeking to test the readiness of of government agencies and utility providers for a potentially deadly attack on critical infrastructure.

The simulation is devised as part of “prudent planning” and not in response to any credible intelligence regarding such an attack. “It gives us the ability to test these systems, and make sure that we learn any lessons,” according to sources in the UK government, The Guardian reports.

In a similar exercise last year the readiness of major banks to withstand a major cyber attack was tested.

The UK and US are also tightening cooperation in nuclear waste management, processing, and nuclear material exchange. British Prime Minister David Cameron is expected to announce an exchange deal with the US in which the UK will ship 711 kg of nuclear waste to be processed in the United States.

The US will supply a different type of uranium to Euratom, the European nuclear agency. This will be turned into medical isotopes to be used for detecting and treating cancer across Europe. The move has been described as a “landmark deal” by government sources, saying:  “it’s a win-win: we get rid of waste, and we get back something that helps us to fight cancer.”

“It’s an opportunity for the UK, the US and Europe who show how countries can work together to deal with nuclear waste. It’s an opportunity for us to show some leadership to the rest of the world,” a source in the British government told The Guardian.