Lancaster University has hosted a five-day training course delivered for the first time in collaboration with the World institute for Nuclear Security (WINS).

WINS is a non-governmental membership organisation headquartered in Vienna, Austria. It is committed to building an international community of nuclear security professionals and improving cyber security capabilities in the nuclear industry.

The course - which brought together 22 nuclear industry professionals from across the UK was the first collaboration between WINS and Lancaster University. It was delivered to meet the growing demand and need of understanding operational technology and information technology cybersecurity, with practical and engaging demonstrations and group exercises.

The objective was to build awareness of the cyberthreat to nuclear facilities and to discuss the implementation of cybersecurity to reduce the risk from cyberattack. The materials used in the course were derived from the WINS Academy module Cybersecurity in the Nuclear Industry with subject matter expert tutors and guest speakers from the Austrian Institute for Technology, Office for Nuclear Regulation, Nuclear Transport Solutions and Lancaster University.

The course was held at The School of Computing and Communications in InfoLab on the Lancaster University campus. This gave delegates the opportunity to take advantage of the world-class teaching facilities and to experience the unique campus setting. At the end of the first day, delegates attended an evening social event which gave them the opportunity to network and informally meet the other delegates and tutors.

Roland Fletcher, Head of Certification and Training, said: “This is the second course delivered exclusively to an UK audience, with the first delivered in Vienna at the Austrian Institute of Technology to prove the transferability to the UK. Having a UK base now secured at the InfoLab21 Cybersecurity Facility at Lancaster University enables delivery of the learning required by the nuclear sector and DESNEZ strategy for cybersecurity. With the excellent feedback received from delegates, WINS is making this part of its approach and commitments towards continued professional development, with a next course in the planning phase for a September 2024 delivery, once again at Lancaster University.”

On completion of the course, delegates were provided access to the CYBSEC2 online learning platform to set them up on a pathway to achieve certification to become a WINS Certified Nuclear Security Specialisation Professional (CNSsP).

For more information on WINS and future courses: https://www.wins.org/