Cybersecurity
Iranian-Linked Hacks Expose Failure to Safeguard US Water System
- The EPA, lawmakers, water associations can’t agree on rules
- Nation’s water systems are poorly protected from cyber threats
The Iranian-linked hacks were a wake-up call that has jolted officials to try to agree on at least minimum standards of security.
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In late November, an Iranian-backed hacking group attacked Israeli-made digital controls commonly used in the water and wastewater industries in the US, affecting multiple organizations across several states.
That same month, the North Texas Municipal Water District, which supplies water to more than 2 million customers, was the victim of a ransomware attack. And earlier this year, hackers linked to China’s People’s Liberation Army attacked a water utility in Hawaii, according to the Washington Post.