Attacks on water systems can come in various forms, not only from pure physical threats. Having a strong and diligent workforce that emphasizes security and basic methods of cyber protection is imperative.
Bipartisan House lawmakers introduced a bill this week intended to protect critical infrastructure from cyberattacks following the latest unsuccessful attack on a Florida water treatment facility.
Hackers broke into a water treatment facility in Florida, gained access to an internal ICS platform and changed chemical levels, making the water unsafe to consume.
Agencies and authorities that provide water, wastewater and dam services don’t face the same regulatory hurdles as power utilities, but they’re also often smaller and have fewer resources, housed as they generally are within municipal governments or other smaller entities.