Michael S. Regan, an administrator with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and White House National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, circulated a letter to governors nationwide which warned that disabling cyberattacks are striking water and wastewater systems throughout the United States. They said that these attacks have the potential to disrupt the critical lifeline of clean and safe drinking water, as well as impose significant costs on affected communities. The letter sought the partnership of the governors on important actions to secure water systems against the increasing risks from and consequences of these attacks.

The letter noted that these attacks have been perpetrated by threat actors affiliated with the Iranian Government Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) where they targeted and disabled a common type of operational technology used at water facilities where the facility had neglected to change a default manufacturer password. The letter also said that a People's Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored cyber group called, Volt Typhoon, which has compromised information technology of multiple critical infrastructure systems, including drinking water, in the United States and its territories.

"Drinking water and wastewater systems are an attractive target for cyberattacks because they are a lifeline critical infrastructure sector but often lack the resources and technical capacity to adopt rigorous cybersecurity practices," the letter said. Read more about this story on our LinkedIn page