The EPA and White House acknowledged water systems and other utilities “often lack the resources” to adopt rigorous cybersecurity measures. They want to partner to bolster the current efforts of state and local governments.
A letter last week from two senior Biden administration officials warned states of “disabling cyberattacks” that could “disrupt the critical lifeline of clean and safe drinking water, as well as impose significant costs on affected communities.”
Just months after two separate attacks on water systems in Pennsylvania and Texas, Michael Regan, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Jake Sullivan, national security advisor, wrote governors warning of “two recent and ongoing” threats associated with China and Iran, and calling for their “partnership” in combating the issue.
“Drinking water and wastewater systems are an attractive target for cyberattacks,” the two officials wrote, “because they are a lifeline critical infrastructure sector but often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices.”
Route Fifty
By Chris Teale,
Staff Reporter, Route Fifty
MARCH 22, 2024