German nuclear plant has computer viruses

A nuclear power plant in Germany is infected with computer viruses, but they are not a threat to the facility’s operation, because it is isolated from the internet, the station’s operator said.

The Gundremmingen plant, 120 km (75 miles) northwest of Munich, is run by the German utility, RWE.

The viruses, which include ‘W32.Ramnit’ and ‘Conficker’, were discovered at Gundremmingen’s B unit, in a computer system retrofitted in 2008 with data visualisation-software associated with equipment for moving nuclear fuel rods, RWE said.