Japan's nuclear watchdog is dealing with an embarrassing security lapse involving a lost work phone in China. Japanese media report that an employee of the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) misplaced a government-issued smartphone containing confidential contact information for staff of its nuclear security division, which handles protection of nuclear materials from threats such as theft and terrorism. The device went missing Nov. 3 during a security screening at a Shanghai airport while the employee was on a private trip, reports the BBC. The man reportedly realized the loss three days later and revisited the airport, but failed to locate the device. The watchdog said it "cannot rule out the possibility of an information leak," per the Japan Times, which reports the phone can't be externally locked or erased because it is out of range.
Local outlets reported the phone was one of the emergency-use devices issued so that certain NRA staff can respond quickly in crises, even when overseas. The NRA has reportedly now warned employees against taking work phones abroad. The misstep lands as Japan is trying to restart nuclear reactors idled since the 2011 Fukushima disaster. The NRA was created after that crisis to tighten oversight, but nuclear security practices have repeatedly been questioned. There have been at least two incidents involving mishandled confidential documents at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world's largest nuclear facility, since 2023. This week, the NRA suspended a review of nuclear plant operator Chubu Electric Power over what it said was the "fabrication of critical inspection data."
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