Cyber Secure and Resilient Next-generation Communications for Small Modular Reactors

Supervisors:

1) Professor Paul Smith – University of Lancaster

2) Dr Charalampos Rotsos – University of Lancaster

3) Dr Antonio Bi Buono – NNL

To ensure the economic viability of new nuclear designs, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), new operating concepts are being considered, including remote operations and fleet management. To support these operating concepts, the adoption of novel digital technologies, which are new to the nuclear sector, is deemed essential. This includes a fundamental shift in the application and types of communications technologies that are used, including heterogeneous telecommunications systems and wireless technology.

This PhD project will investigate and provide essential insights into the secure and resilient use of these communication systems for new nuclear designs. This will include identifying requirements for novel operating concepts with different criticalities, developing attack scenarios, and evaluating the robustness of communication technologies to attack. Furthermore, the project will examine the suitability of emerging network management approaches, which aim to minimise operational overheads, to realise important communication security and resilience requirements for new nuclear designs. The outcomes from this project are essential to the success of enabling new operating concepts and fleet management approaches.

This project is offered through the SATURN CDT (Skills And Training Underpinning a Renaissance in Nuclear Centre for Doctoral Training) and sponsored by UKNNL. It is expected that this PhD project will contribute to a new International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) project that is investigating the computer security of SMRs.

For informal enquiries, please contact Professor Paul Smith (paul.smith@lancaster.ac.uk)

Candidates interested in applying should first send an email expressing interest to saturn@manchester.ac.uk as soon as possible and by the closing date: 31st May 2025.

For further information: https://www.saturn-nuclear-cdt.manchester.ac.uk/

For further information: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/scc/  

SATURN_Nuclear_CDT