Authorities Seize Crypto Mining Equipment from Nuclear Power Plant

Ukraine’s top law-enforcement and counterintelligence agency uncovered crypto mining equipment on site at a nuclear power plant.

According to local media reports, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) confiscated six Radeon RX 470 GPU video cards, a motherboard, power supplies and extension cords, a USB and hard drive, and cooling units installed in the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant on July 10.

All of the equipment was located in a single office, No. 104, in the administrative wing separate from the power facility, from the state-owned Energoatom enterprise.

The power plant is registered as a state secret and outside computer equipment is not authorized to enter the property.

The same day, a National Guard of Ukraine branch uncovered additional crypto mining equipment at same nuclear plant. In this search and seizure, 16 GPU video cards, 7 hard drives, 2 solid-state drives and router were uncovered.

GPUs have fallen out of favor in the crypto mining community, as more specialized equipment has come to market.

It is unknown what type of cryptocurrencies were being mined. The SBU did not respond to a request for comment by press time.

Reportedly, activists with the Ukrainian Cyber ​​Alliance formed a flash mob organized under the #fuckresponsibledisclosure in 2017, to raise concerns over security issues at Energoatom.

Nuclear towers photo via Shutterstock