Navigating Troubled Waters: Cybersecurity Threats To The Water Industry

On October 3, American Water Works Company, a major utility serving over 14 million people, reported a cybersecurity incident on its computer networks. This incident primarily disrupted the company's billing systems with no impact on water or wastewater services, but it brought renewed attention to the vulnerabilities in the nation's critical infrastructure. This incident, coupled with findings from the Government Accountability Office's (GAO) recent report, highlights the urgent need for enhanced cybersecurity measures in the industry.

Addressing Cybersecurity Gaps in the Water Sector: Insights from the GAO Report

The GAO report, "Critical Infrastructure Protection: EPA Urgently Needs a Strategy to Address Cybersecurity Risks to Water and Wastewater Systems," sheds light on significant cybersecurity challenges within the water sector. It reveals that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not conducted a comprehensive sector-wide risk assessment, which