Date/Time
Date(s) - 11/09/2023
1:55 pm - 2:55 pm
Location
Rhines Hall 125
Categories
Abstract
Nuclear reactors rely on instrumentation and control (I&C) systems to maintain critical primary and secondary processes within desired parameters to ensure safe and efficient operation. Safety-related I&C systems are specifically designed to protect against critical failures that can lead to high-consequence events.
As modernization occurs in the existing reactor fleet and as new advanced reactors are designed and commissioned, analog systems are being replaced with digital I&C systems due to their many advantages, including reliability, efficiency, additional functionality, and data analytics. While digital I&C provides enhanced operational capabilities, new risks associated with adverse impacts from cyber incidents are introduced.
Many engineers and scientists are focused on building systems to safely perform a specific function and are unfamiliar with cyber risks introduced with this operational technology. This talk will provide a brief overview of nuclear digital I&C systems for the current and future fleet, describe the basis of cyber risk, and provide additional insights into insider and supply chain threats.
Bio
Shannon Eggers, Ph.D.
Nuclear Cybersecurity Specialist
Idaho National Lab
Dr. Shannon Eggers is a nuclear cybersecurity specialist at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) performing R&D in cyber risk, cyber-informed engineering, and cyber supply chain risk management for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy cybersecurity program. She is also a cybersecurity subject matter expert working with the DOE National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) Office of International Nuclear Security (INS), helping to increase international cybersecurity awareness and reduce global nuclear security risks.
Dr. Eggers received her Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Florida (UF) in 2018. While at UF, she obtained her Senior Reactor Operator (SRO) license at the UF Training Reactor and completed research on adapting anomaly detection techniques for online intrusion detection in nuclear facilities. Dr. Eggers previously graduated with a B.S.E. (1993) and M.S. (1996) in materials science and engineering from UF and a M.S. in management from North Carolina State University (2000).
Dr. Eggers has worked in the nuclear industry for over 20 years in areas of R&D, engineering, operations, plant process computing, and enterprise computing. Prior to joining INL, she held positions as a Research Reactor SRO, Senior Cybersecurity Analyst, SRO-In Training, Shift Technical Advisor, and Digital Plant Engineer/Senior IT Analyst.