Dimona Nuclear Research Centre (Archives)
Photo: Reuters
Dimona reactor workers suspended over security breach
Several workers at nuclear research centre suspended for unauthorized use of USB flash drive. Center: No information compromised
Several workers at the Dimona Nuclear Research Centre were suspended for violating information security protocols, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Wednesday.
The breach reportedly rattled the facility, which is one of Israel's most sensitive compounds.
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According to available details, one of the employees tried using a USB flash drive on one of the computers. The drive in question was not an encrypted one, as are the ones used internally by the facility, constitution a breach of protocol.
Other workers knew of the breach and failed to report it.
The Dimona compound bars the use of any external electronics. The danger lies in malware that might find its way from an external flash drive to one of the facility's computers and potentially to its mainframe.
According to foreign media reports, a flash drive was used to infect the computer systems in Iranian nuclear facilities on more than one occasion.
Sources in the Dimona nuclear research facility stressed that no information was compromised as a result of the breach.
The employees in question faced disciplinary action and were suspended for various lengths of time. None was fired.
Dimona Nuclear Research Centre issued a statement saying that "Any breach of information security protocols is dealt according to set procedures."
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