The city of Wichita, Kansas, recently fell victim to a cyberattack on its water system, a trend that has been observed in water utilities across the United States in recent years. These attacks, which target water metering, billing, and payment processing systems, highlight the vulnerabilities present in critical infrastructure.
Despite the growing fears of AI use in cyber threats, hackers continue to exploit human weaknesses such as phishing, social engineering, and default passwords to gain access to systems. The Environmental Protection Agency has warned that 70% of water systems inspected do not fully comply with cybersecurity requirements, posing alarming vulnerabilities.
Recent attacks on U.S. water utilities by Iranian-backed activist groups and Chinese hackers have raised concerns among government agencies like the FBI, NSA, and CISA. The potential psychological impact of these attacks on the population, as seen in the Colonial Pipeline hack of 2021, is a strategic aim for cybercriminals.
While no hack has shut off water to a population yet, the threat of a successful attack on the operational technology (OT) that controls water plants is a major concern. MIT professor Stuart Madnick warns that the government may not act quickly enough to prevent such an occurrence due to budget constraints and outdated infrastructure.
To enhance cybersecurity in water utilities, experts recommend improving password strength, reducing exposure to public-facing internet, and providing cybersecurity awareness training. Deploying air-gapped systems that separate control systems from other networks is also suggested to prevent unauthorized access.
Overall, the EPA emphasizes the importance of adopting basic cyber resiliency practices to prevent destructive and costly cyberattacks. As AI continues to advance, cyberthreat actors may employ more sophisticated tactics to penetrate critical infrastructure facilities, posing a significant risk to the nation’s security.
https://www.pressrundown.com/top%20news/links-to-china-russia-iran-threaten-americas-drinking-water
