Anonymous Cyberattacks Target Nuclear Power Groups Amid Fukushima Water Release Controversy
An international hacker group known as Anonymous has launched a series of cyberattacks against nuclear power-linked organizations in Japan. The attacks come in response to the planned release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The group has been intensifying its cyber offensives since last month, following the International Atomic Energy Agency’s announcement that the planned discharge would comply with global safety standards.
According to a Japanese IT security firm called NTT Security Japan, vigilance is needed as the attacks could escalate further after the water release. The targeted organizations include the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Japan Atomic Power Co, and the Atomic Energy Society of Japan. Anonymous has primarily carried out distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, overwhelming networks with a flood of data from multiple sources over a short period. The cyber assaults have been led by a group based in Italy, with confirmed activities by another group based in Vietnam.
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency reported experiencing a significant increase in website traffic, approximately 100 times higher than usual. However, users were still able to browse the site as countermeasures were implemented. NTT Security revealed that Anonymous released a target list of its attacks, including not only the three nuclear power-related organizations but also Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO), the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and the Liberal Democratic Party. The motive behind the attacks is the perceived lack of transparency in the Japanese government’s decision-making process regarding the release of treated water.
In a recent statement to Kyodo News, a member of Anonymous expressed concerns about the government’s policy, emphasizing the need to end the practice of using the sea as a dumping ground for economic benefit. Meanwhile, a company called Nippon Weston Co., unrelated to nuclear power, also fell victim to the attacks. Anonymous apparently mistook their website, www.weston.co.jp, for a government-operated site in western Japan. Fortunately, the company reported that it was not impacted by the attack.
The Fukushima nuclear plant has been grappling with massive amounts of contaminated water since the devastating earthquake and tsunami in 2011. While the water has been treated and most radionuclides removed, except for tritium, the storage vessels are nearing capacity. Tritium is considered less harmful than other radioactive materials, such as cesium and strontium. However, local fishermen and neighboring countries, notably China, remain opposed to the planned water release, with China implementing blanket radiation testing on Japanese seafood.
This ongoing controversy surrounding the Fukushima water release raises concerns about the potential environmental impact and the need for transparent decision-making processes. As cyberattacks from Anonymous continue to target nuclear power groups, organizations involved in the nuclear industry must remain on high alert to protect their digital infrastructure.
