Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Data Leak: Ransomware Group Claims to Publish Thousands of Files

Reuters reviewed the leaked documents-dating from 2016 to 2025-but could not independently verify their authenticity. According to reports, the files include engineering blueprints for ventilation and cooling systems, floor layouts for the common control room, equipment inspection reports, supplier lists and vendor proposals, meeting records, and insurance policies.

These documents primarily pertain to Units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam plant, which are currently under construction and expected to become operational by 2027. It appears that the files do not include designs for the nuclear reactor's core systems, which are supplied by the Russian state-owned company Rosatom. Nicholas Roth, a senior director at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, stated that the data breach could pose a serious threat to the plant's security. He told Reuters that this could reveal to an adversary not only who has access to the project but also which specific systems that access covers.

Although there is no evidence that active reactor systems have been compromised, cybersecurity experts say the leaked information could still be valuable to hostile forces. Attackers could exploit vulnerabilities in related infrastructure or third-party supply chains.

According to Jagran sources, India's Computer Emergency Response Team is investigating the breach in collaboration with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. Data center provider 'Yotta' reported detecting suspicious activity on a server on May 29 and thwarting a suspected ransomware attack; however, Reliance Infrastructure later informed them of claims regarding a data leak.

Neither the Department of Atomic Energy nor the Prime Minister's Office has publicly commented on the Reuters inquiry. 'World Leaks'-a group that previously targeted the Tata Group and Nike-also did not respond.

This incident occurs amidst growing concerns regarding the cybersecurity of India's critical infrastructure. According to the cybersecurity firm 'Surfshark', 28.9 million accounts in India were compromised last year, making it one of the countries most affected by data leaks globally.