The cybersecurity threat facing America’s water and wastewater infrastructure has intensified in recent weeks. With incidents occurring in the last week of July and continuing into August, utilities in at least seven states have been affected. Government officials say attackers have been targeting internet connected programmable logic controllers (PLCs), devices that can monitor and control pumps, valves, pressure and other physical processes.
On August 19, a joint advisory was published by the National Security Agency (NSA) highlighting this critical threat and specifying the technology being manipulated, that being the Siemens S7 PLC. This represents an important shift in critical infrastructure security, as attackers do not necessarily need to steal information or deploy ransomware to cause damage. Internet-exposed access to operational technology can allow cyber incidents to directly impact the physical operation of a water or wastewater facility in several ways.
As of August 24, these incidents have caused delays in production at water treatment facilities leading to low water pressure. This does not mean that water and wastewater infrastructure as a whole is at risk. Rather, providers and utilities should take additional steps to secure operational technology that is exposed to the internet.
The bottom line is that cyberattacks on water infrastructure have transitioned from a hypothetical concern to a present and growing threat, especially against smaller local utilities. The FBI, CISA, and NSA have attributed these attacks to Iranian-linked hacking groups, however there are potentially other non-state actors involved. In response to these recent events, a bipartisan cybersecurity proposal, the Water Cyber Shield Act, was introduced by Sens. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) to address cybersecurity risks facing the nation’s water infrastructure. The legislation focuses on strengthening the ability of water and wastewater systems to identify, prepare for, and respond to cyber threats. The proposal also recognizes the federal government’s role in providing resources and support based on the needs and capabilities of local water systems.
WWEMA will continue to monitor this ongoing situation.