An internal security breach has been revealed at the Tokyo Electric Power Company's Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant, where a employee photographed a classified document related to counter-terrorism measures and forwarded it to 16 coworkers. The Nuclear Regulation Authority of Japan disclosed this finding on the 24th, indicating that the employee responsible had unauthorized access to sensitive information. The security protocols at the nuclear facility, which are supposed to prevent the theft or destruction of nuclear materials, require that all classified documents be stored in locked areas and that any duplication or removal must be authorized.

This incident follows a previous security concern in September 2020, where a different employee had unauthorized access to the facility using another individual's ID card. The current employee, who had been dealing with the previous ID misuse issue, reportedly copied classified documents without following established procedures and stored them in an unlocked location. Despite securing the documents in their desk drawer, the key was also kept in an unsecured place, further undermining protocol adherence. This raises significant questions about the company's commitment to maintaining secure operations at a facility critical for nuclear safety.

In February, during discussions with executives regarding protective measures, the same employee used a company-issued smartphone to take pictures of the secret document and sent these images to colleagues. Additionally, the investigation found that the employee had stored scanned copies of these documents on their personal computer folders. Such lapses in security not only pose a risk to the nuclear facility but also call for immediate action from the regulatory authority to ensure strengthened safeguards against potential threats.