Threat of hacking attack on nuclear plants growing, UN warns

Extremists and 'vicious non-state groups' are actively seeking weapons of mass destruction: UN

The UN's deputy chief is warning that "the nightmare scenario" is rising for a hacking attack on a nuclear power plant's computer system that causes the uncontrolled release of radiation.

Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson told a Security Council meeting yesterday that extremists and "vicious non-state groups" are actively seeking weapons of mass destruction "and these weapons are increasingly accessible."

He says "non-state actors" can already create mass disruption using cyber technologies.

Eliasson says there are legitimate concerns about the security of stockpiles of radioactive material suitable for making nuclear weapons that are outside international regulation.

He also says "scientific advances have lowered barriers to the production of biological weapons."

Eliasson says preventing extremists from carrying out attacks using weapons of mass destruction "will be a long-term challenge.