Cyberattacks on U.S. Water Utilities Prompt New Defense Initiative

In recent weeks, “malicious cyber actors” infiltrated water systems in at least 12 states, gaining access to programmable logic controllers that manage pressure, chemicals and pumps. More than 30 community water systems in Minnesota were among those compromised, and experts say the attacks may have originated from Iran. Federal law-enforcement agencies—including the FBI and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Agency (CISA)—have advised utilities to disable internet access to control systems, enforce strong passwords and revert to manual operation where possible.

The Independent

A March 2023 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) memo required states to coordinate with local officials on water-system cyber vulnerabilities. Attorneys general in three Republican-led states sued, arguing the memo exceeded EPA authority; a federal appeals court blocked the directive and the EPA withdrew it. In response, Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the top Democrat on the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee, introduced legislation this week to re-authorize EPA involvement in water-cybersecurity and to fund local utilities without shifting costs to ratepayers.

The Independent

Launched in 2024, DEF CON Franklin—a project of the Cyber Policy Initiative at the University of Chicago Harris School—has partnered with the National Rural Water Association to open the Water Watch Center. After two years of collaboration with roughly 450 volunteer hackers across seven states, the program now expands support to utilities serving fewer than 10,000 residents, which comprise the majority of the nation’s roughly 150,000 water and wastewater systems.

The Independent

Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition executive director Tatyana Bolton urged Congress to treat the intrusions as a direct attack on a core American necessity. President Donald Trump has dismissed intelligence reports linking Iran to the attacks. The FBI and CISA continue to issue technical guidance, while the Water Watch Center offers hands-on assistance to under-resourced utilities.

The Independent

• “These threats are not hypothetical — they are happening right now,” — Sen. Adam Schiff

The Independent