At last, a conservative news aggregator that does not bow to the woke right.
In this Just the News article, Nicholas Ballasy reports that a new Government Accountability Office warning says foreign hackers and criminal groups are increasingly targeting America’s drinking water and wastewater systems.
- The GAO warns that aging U.S. water infrastructure is becoming more vulnerable as once-isolated industrial systems are connected to internet-enabled technology.
- Hackers linked to foreign governments and criminal organizations may be able to target systems controlling pumps, valves, chemical treatments, and water distribution.
- The watchdog said attackers now have a greater ability to reach critical operational systems because of the merger of old industrial controls with modern networks.
- A successful cyberattack could disrupt service, harm public health, damage the environment, and affect hospitals, energy plants, and other sectors that depend on water.
- The article cites a late-2023 breach of a Pennsylvania water system by an Iran-affiliated hacking group, which forced workers to stop pumping operations temporarily and manually operate parts of the facility.
- Ransomware attacks have also hit utilities in California, New Jersey, and Nevada, disrupting computer systems and forcing some manual operations.
- GAO says many utilities remain poorly prepared because of outdated infrastructure, staffing shortages, limited budgets, and systems not designed for today’s cyber threat environment.
- The report highlights “basic cyber hygiene” problems, including default passwords and outdated operating systems.
- EPA has completed a sector-wide cybersecurity risk assessment and risk management plan, but GAO warns many efforts remain voluntary and legal authority gaps may leave smaller utilities and wastewater systems unevenly protected.
- The warning applies to a massive and decentralized sector, with nearly 170,000 water and wastewater systems across the country.
Read the full story: https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/gao-warns-foreign-hackers-targeting-us-drinking-water-infrastructure
