As small modular nuclear reactors move closer to commercial reality, Idaho National Laboratory is working to ensure cybersecurity protections are built in from the start, not added as an afterthought.
The laboratory, a U.S. Department of Energy nuclear research institution, recently hosted a nuclear cybersecurity summit in Park City, Utah, bringing together experts to address a challenge that comes with the next generation of reactor design.
Unlike traditional large nuclear plants, small modular reactors are expected to be situated nearer to population centers and will operate with a significantly greater number of communication channels. That shift raises new security questions that the old model of physical protection, what the industry calls “guns, gates and guards,” was never designed to handle.
J’Tia Hart, Idaho National Lab’s nuclear nonproliferation director, told the Idaho Capital Sun that waiting to address cybersecurity until after reactors are already operating would be a costly mistake. “It’s like building the Ferrari and thinking after you’re racing it down the road, ‘what about the brakes?'” Hart said. “You know, we want to think about the brakes before we build the car.”
The concern is well-founded. Small modular reactors are also expected to shift away from the analog controls that have long characterized nuclear plant operations, moving toward autonomous and digital systems. That transition opens doors that did not exist in the previous generation of nuclear infrastructure.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, which has developed cybersecurity expertise in energy grid, water, and wastewater systems, is also contributing to the effort. Mason Rice, who directs Oak Ridge’s Cyber Resilience and Intelligence Division, said the goal is to design reactors so that a successful cyberattack still cannot produce a physical catastrophe. As Rice told the Idaho Capital Sun, “We want to build it in such a way that if somebody does attack them, the physics involved actually prevent something bad from happening.”
That approach, embedding safety directly into the design rather than relying solely on perimeter defenses, reflects a broader shift in how the national labs are thinking about cybersecurity for nuclear energy. The technologies needed are still being developed, and experts acknowledge the field is working to catch up with the pace of reactor innovation.
One company engaged in that effort is Blue Energy, a nuclear startup currently working to establish a formal research partnership with Idaho National Lab. The focus of that collaboration would cover support systems and infrastructure, with a prototype in development to help the broader industry test vulnerabilities and put cybersecurity protections into practice. The partnership structure is expected to take shape within the next several months.
Utah has positioned itself as a hub for what proponents are calling a “nuclear renaissance,” making the Park City summit a natural meeting point for federal labs, industry players, and state interests aligned around expanding nuclear power capacity. Idaho, home to Idaho National Lab, sits at the center of that effort as the nation’s primary nuclear research institution.
The stakes are significant. Small modular reactors represent a potential cornerstone of American energy independence, capable of delivering reliable baseload power without the land footprint or transmission requirements of large conventional plants. But their proximity to populated areas and their reliance on digital infrastructure mean that getting cybersecurity right from the beginning is not optional.
The work underway at Idaho National Lab reflects a broader federal priority: ensuring that as the United States builds out next-generation nuclear capacity, adversaries, whether foreign governments or criminal actors, cannot exploit the digital systems that make these reactors more efficient and responsive. The Pentagon’s push for expanded national security funding reflects a similar recognition that modern threats increasingly target infrastructure, not just military assets.
For North Idaho and the broader region, the prominence of Idaho National Lab in this emerging field underscores the strategic importance of the institution and its role in shaping how the country powers itself for the next century.
North Idaho Republican Staff