EPA Warns of Increasing Cyber Threats to Municipal Drinking Water
EPA Warns of Increasing Cyber Threats to Municipal Drinking Water
This is my latest entry in my experiment with daily posting.
Yesterday, the Environmental Protection Agency issued an enforcement alert warning the nation’s municipal water systems of increasing cybersecurity threats. “EPA is issuing this alert because threats to, and attacks on, the nation’s water system have increased in frequency and severity to a point where additional action is critical,” the news release said.
Here are some key bits from the report:
“Cyberattacks against CWSs are increasing in frequency and severity across the country.”
“Possible impacts include disrupting the treatment, distribution, and storage of water for the community, damaging pumps and valves, and altering the levels of chemicals to hazardous amounts.”
“Over 70% of the systems inspected by EPA since September 2023 are in violation of basic SDWA 1433 requirements including missing specific sections of the RRA and ERP. When on site, EPA inspectors have identified alarming cybersecurity vulnerabilities at drinking water systems across the country and taken actions to address them.”
“For example, some water systems failed to change default passwords, use single logins for all staff, or failed to curtail access by former employees.”
The federal government has issued several advisories regarding nation-states trying to hack water systems, including China, Iran, and Russia.
The EPA is stepping up inspections and enforcement actions to increase cybersecurity compliance.
I’m no fan of the federal government or the Biden Administration, but honestly, good on both for stepping in here. Cybersecurity is something that many local government simply don’t take seriously, but it’s of the upmost importance.
When I was at The Prepared, I wrote about hackers who used an unprotected VNC connection to spike the lye levels in the water. Thankfully, a watchful operator caught them in the act.
As always, I recommend storing water: at least 3 days worth for everyone in your house, and ideally two weeks’ worth. Estimate one gallon per person per day. More on food and water storage here:
