Computer operations have been disrupted at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant for at least 24 hours, but the National Nuclear Security Administration declined to provide details about the problem or the extent of the impacts. The “service disruption” began on Monday afternoon and was still in effect on Tuesday night. NNSA spokesman Steven Wyatt confirmed that there had been disruption with the plant’s unclassified computer system, affecting email and other administrative activities. But he would not comment on the classified computer system or potential impacts on production or security. “I’m not at liberty to discuss those systems,” he said.
More than 4,300 people work at Y-12. “We’re hopeful to have the system in full operation as soon as possible,” Wyatt said. It’s not clear if the system have been under cyber-attack. Wyatt said Consolidated Nuclear Security, the managing contractor at Y-12, was working to identify the cause of the system disruption and to return the system to normal operations.