"Spain Arrests Suspected Hackers Who Sabotaged Radiation Alert System"

The Spanish police have arrested two hackers suspected of carrying out cyberattacks on the country's Radioactivity Alert Network (RAR) between March and June 2021. The two arrested people are former employees of a company hired by the General Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergencies (DGPGE) to maintain the RAR system, so they were familiar with its operation and how to launch an effective cyberattack. They gained unauthorized access to the DGPGE network and attempted to delete the RAR management web application from the control center. The individuals also launched separate attacks against sensors, disabling 300 of the 800 scattered across Spain, effectively breaking their link to the control center, and disrupting data exchange. The cybersabotage against RAR ceased in June 2021, after authorities discovered the breach and launched an immediate investigation with the assistance of the National Police's cybercrime unit. After a year of following the hackers' tracks, the police were able to identify those responsible for the cyberattack. Spain operates seven nuclear reactors in six power plants in Cáceres, Tarragona, Valencia, Guadalajara, Salamanca, and Córdoba, covering approximately 20 percent of its national power needs. The RAR system's role is to detect sudden increases in radioactivity levels and raise the alarm to assist authorities in taking protective measures, detecting, and correcting the problem. The cyberattack prevented 300 of these sensors from transmitting their readings back to the center, posing a significant risk of the state failing to respond quickly to events involving excessive radiation. This article continues to discuss the arrest of two hackers accused of launching cyberattacks on the RAR system and the significant risk posed by the attacks. 

Bleeping Computer reports "Spain Arrests Suspected Hackers Who Sabotaged Radiation Alert System"