While cybersecurity resources can be scarce at small agencies, there are some basics steps they can take to protect themselves.
A hacker’s attempt earlier this month to poison the drinking water in a small city near Tampa, Florida may have been easily thwarted, but it was still a jolt to cybersecurity experts.
“This was the worst nightmare for a lot of people,” said Meredith Ward, the director for policy and research at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.
The incident at the Oldsmar water treatment plant underscores how there are many smaller water utilities with limited funding that need to upgrade software and facilities to better ward off cybersecurity threats. It also serves as a reminder to small utilities that there are relatively basic steps they can take to improve security without spending a lot of money.
Route Fifty
By Daniel C. Vock
FEBRUARY 19, 2021