Cyberattacks are hitting water systems throughout US, Biden officials warn governors

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN Politics

Published 4:24 PM EDT, Tue March 19, 2024


CNN — Cyberattacks are hitting water and wastewater systems “throughout the United States” and state governments and water facilities must improve their defenses against the threat, the White House and Environmental Protection Agency warned US governors on Tuesday.

“We need your support to ensure that all water systems in your state comprehensively assess their current cybersecurity practices,” said the letter to the governors from EPA Administrator Michael Regan and national security adviser Jake Sullivan. In many cases, Regan and Sullivan said, “even basic cybersecurity precautions” are not in place at water facilities and “can mean the difference between business as usual and a disruptive cyberattack.”

The EPA will also set up a “task force” to “identify the most significant vulnerabilities of water systems to cyberattacks,” among other pressing issues, Regan and Sullivan said in their letter. The Biden officials invited state homeland security and environmental officials to a meeting to discuss cybersecurity improvements needed in the water sector.

The US water sector, which spans 150,000 public water systems, has often struggled to find the cash and personnel to deal with hacking threats.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/19/politics/cyberattacks-water-systems-us/index.html

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Link to EPA NEWS RELEASE - Biden-Harris Administration engages states on safeguarding water sector infrastructure against cyber threats

[AllaN01Bear]

1. here we go again.

[lostnfound]

2. Notice the subtle corporate messaging

“The US water sector, which spans 150,000 public water systems, has often struggled to find the cash and personnel to deal with hacking threats”

As if public water systems are incompetent weaklings who can’t do anything for themselves. They “struggle” all by themselves, anthromorphized into Goofus waiting for the Gallant private heroes to come in and save the day.

Translated: “Proper funding of the US water sector is opposed by the GOP ideology promulgated by Reagan and Gingrich: They want government small enough to be drowned in a bathtub. But it needs to be a privatized — giant but shallow and polluted — to be paid for by water-drinkers at tenfold prices.”

Those $40 water bills MUST get cable-TV sized. Might as well consolidate and make them nicer (at taxpayer expense) before they get handed off at firesale prices to the future “owners”.