The Cyber Nuclear Forum (CNF) successfully held its Spring 2026 meeting online on 28–29 April 2026, bringing together over 30 cybersecurity professionals and nuclear sector experts from around the world to exchange knowledge, discuss emerging challenges, and strengthen international collaboration on cyber resilience in the nuclear industry.
Chaired by Anno Keizer, Urenco Netherlands, and co-moderated by Todd Warnell, Bruce Power, Canada, and Don Dudenhoeffer, ENEC, UAE, the two-day meeting focused on CNF developments, future priorities, and the growing role of advanced technologies and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) in nuclear cybersecurity.
The first day of the meeting opened with updates on CNF developments, including enrolment strategy, communications, funding activities, and preparations for upcoming events such as the IAEA CyberCon 2026 and the CNF Autumn 2026 Meeting. Participants also discussed future priorities and activities for the Forum, emphasizing the importance of continued international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
Working Group leads provided updates on Governance, Insider Threats, and Artificial Intelligence (AI), highlighting ongoing efforts to address emerging cyber risks and support practical implementation across nuclear facilities.
A key highlight of the meeting was the topical session on “Advanced Technologies Integration and Impact at Nuclear Facilities,” featuring presentations from leading experts in the field:
- Helmut Leopold, Head of Center for Digital Safety & Security at the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, explored current and future technology developments impacting cybersecurity.
- Brian Moss and Jahangir Nasimi from Bruce Power examined practical AI applications for nuclear facilities.
- Kush Gidda from Ontario Power Generation shared perspectives on cybersecurity considerations for SMR initiatives.
The second day focused on cybersecurity challenges and opportunities related to SMRs and advanced reactors.
Expert presentations included:
- Robert Anderson of Idaho National Laboratory, who discussed Cyber Informed Engineering approaches for advanced reactors.
- Matt Moe of Anthropic, who presented on the process of AI model red teaming and its implications for security and resilience.
- Jeff Budzinski of Palo Alto, who addressed operational technology (OT) threats relevant to SMRs.
The meeting also included discussions on security in times of hostilities and an open discussion session where participants exchanged perspectives on emerging risks, operational lessons learned, and future cooperation opportunities.
Throughout the meeting, participants highlighted the increasing importance of AI governance, cybersecurity-by-design, operational technology protection, and international collaboration in ensuring the resilience of nuclear facilities against evolving cyber threats.
The Spring 2026 Meeting reaffirmed CNF’s role as a trusted, vendor-free platform for nuclear operators and cybersecurity professionals to exchange expertise, foster partnerships, and collectively strengthen cyber resilience across the nuclear sector.
The agenda of the meeting included sessions on CNF developments, working group activities, advanced technologies, AI applications, SMR cybersecurity, and operational resilience.
