LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The FBI is tracking a sharp rise in malicious cyberattacks on water utilities across seven states in under two weeks, with some attacks causing operational disruptions, including loss of water pressure and flooding.
WATCH | Geneva Zoltek spoke to a cybersecurity expert to learn more:
While the full list of affected states has not been disclosed, Minnesota and Michigan have been identified. No widespread disruptions to water supplies have been reported.
Last Thursday, the FBI issued a Public Service Announcement directing municipal water operators to increase cybersecurity measures, disconnect operational technology from the internet as soon as possible, and become familiar with reverting to manual controls if automated systems are compromised.
"Lifeline sectors like water and wastewater, like transportation, like energy, these are extraordinarily attractive targets for adversaries because they provide essential services to American citizens," Matt Hartman, a cybersecurity expert, told Channel 13.
Hartman, Chief Strategy Officer for the Merlin Group — a Tysons Corner, Virginia-based network of affiliates that invests in, enables, and scales cyber technology companies — was in Las Vegas this week for the Black Hat Cybersecurity Conference.
"The thought that a local water utility in state X county Y could be the target of a nation state sort of feels strange, right?" Hartman said.
Hartman explained that the more critical the infrastructure, the higher the threat — and that countries at war with the U.S. could be targeting local systems.
"Anyone who is in sort of IT or cyber security in one of these critical infrastructure sectors should be prepared that at any moment they could be disrupted," Hartman said.
Hartman said the federal government has a role to play in raising the baseline of protection for local systems.
"There are a few things that the federal government can do to really level set, increase the baseline, and make it so that each sort of municipal system is not defending itself against China or Iran or Russia because that is just not a fight that any of them are going to win, candidly," Hartman said.
Channel 13 reached out to the Southern Nevada Water Authority for comment, but my request was declined. A spokesperson said the agency does not provide interviews on cybersecurity efforts, but confirmed the agency monitors for these types of activities to help ensure defenses are up to date and are adapting to changes in the threat environment.
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