Nuclear power plants rarely resemble a Hollywood script. Yet at the Idaho National Laboratory, a simulator puts operators into a scene that could have come straight from the silver screen. Laser sensors, badge readers and biometric scanners guard the entrance. A few well-timed cyberattacks open the way for a silent physical breach.

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Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are widely heralded as the next major leap in civilian nuclear energy. Promising enhanced safety, modular scalability and carbon-free electricity, they are viewed as a crucial innovation for global decarbonization and energy security. However, beneath this optimism lies a growing unease within the nuclear policy community relating to the proliferation and safeguards challenges that SMRs pose to the existing global nuclear governance system, notably the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

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As the United States accelerates deployment of advanced and small modular reactors (A/SMRs), the nuclear energy sector is embracing a digital future. While digital systems provide operators with big benefits, they can also create vulnerabilities that enable criminals to access critical infrastructure.

To protect the next generation of reactors, cybersecurity has become a critical pillar of trust, safety and resilient operations.

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