The Biden Administration has warned the states against possible cyberattacks against water systems around the country, citing some threats from Iran and China.
The government is now on guard to catch any cyberattacks that could disrupt the critical lifeline of clean and safe drinking water in the country.
U.S. Government Traces Cyberattacks From Iran, China
Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan and National Security Affairs advisor Jake Sullivan wrote a letter to governors detailing the current threats that pose risk to the country's water systems.
Two recent and ongoing threats have shown a huge risk that could cut off clean and safe drinking water. The first one was revealed to be affiliated with the Iranian Government Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps which carried out cyberattacks against the critical infrastructure in the U.S.
According to the letter, the attack targeted and disabled an operational technology used at water facilities due to neglected password change maintenance.
The second threat was traced to be a state-sponsored cyber group from China known as Volt Typhoon. The group is suspected of pre-positioning to disrupt any critical infrastructure operations in the event of geopolitical or military conflicts.
U.S. Government Guards National Water Systems
Drinking water and wastewater systems are considered a lucrative target for cyberattacks due to their lifeline capabilities. Regan and Sullivan are now asking for assistance to prevent the risk of cyberattacks, especially on drinking water systems.
"We need your support to ensure that all water systems in your state comprehensively assess their current cybersecurity practices to identify any significant vulnerabilities, deploy practices and controls to reduce cybersecurity risks where needed, and exercise plans to prepare for, respond to, and recover from a cyber incident," the officials wrote.
Currently, national water system holders are tasked to perform even the basic cybersecurity precautions such as resetting default passwords and updating software to address any vulnerabilities.
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