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Report: Wolf Creek Among Several Nuclear Plants Targeted By Hackers

Nuclear Regulatory Commission, flickr Creative Commons

According to a report in the New York Times, several companies that operate nuclear power plants in the U.S. have been hacked since May, including one near Burlington, KS.

The Wolf Creek Nuclear Plant in Coffey County was singled out in the report.

The information was in a joint report from the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. The hackers targeted engineers who had access to critical industrial control systems.

"There has been absolutely no operational impact to Wolf Creek," says Wolf Creek spokesperson Jenny Hageman. "The reason that is true is because the operational computer systems are completely separate from the corporate network. The safety and control systems for the nuclear reactor and other vital plant components are not connected to business networks or the internet."

Wolf Creek produces energy for Westar and two other energy companies. It is a uranium fueled plant run by uranium and has been online for 30 years.

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Aileen LeBlanc is news director at KMUW. Follow her on Twitter @Aileen_LeBlanc.

 
To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.