Ukrainian Power Plant Officials Accused of Unauthorised Cryptocurrency Mining

SBU (Security Service of Ukraine) detectives have discovered a cryptocurrency mining operation at one of the nation’s nuclear power plants. The agency has reason to believe that it was officials at the facility that had installed the unauthorised hardware.

The SBU alleges that the internet connection installed to facilitate the mining operation posed a significant security risk to the power plant. A local court said confidential data about the plant’s operation has also been leaked online.

Cryptocurrency Mining Operation Threatens Power Plant Security

All over the world, cryptocurrency miners are attracted to cheap electricity. Operations have setup shop in Iceland, thanks to its near-endless geothermal energy; Canada, as a result of the abundant reserves of hydroelectricity there, and Iran, where until recently subsidised energy made mining for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies a lucrative pursuit.

Officials at the Yuzhoukrainsk nuclear power plant in the Ukraine appear to have…