Water utilities seeing rise in cyberattacks with no real defense

In the last few years, cyberattacks have been on a massive increase. As technology has grown, so has the rapid increase in new threats. Chinese and Russian hackers, and new ways of implementing viruses that can attack critical infrastructure with no real way to stop it. Now as technology has advanced, of course security has kept up with it for the most part. But where that disconnects is the water utility system.

The EPA says according to inspections in the last year around 70 percent of utilities did not meet the standards to prevent cyberattacks. This all coming as the aforementioned Chinese, Russians, and now Iran aim to disable American in any way they can. As you can imagine, that presents a serious risk to the daily life of Americans.

Cybersecurity expert David Malicoat says it makes sense, in a bad way, that cyberattacks would be focused on these water utilities.

"This is the soft underbelly of the United States...about 70 to 80 percent of our water districts are small, municipal co-ops, so they do not have the resources of the big areas," he says.

That presents a big problem, especially with federal funding going daily to things like Ukraine.

There is a slight positive, in that having so many water utilities created a much bigger targe for hackers to hit. It adds a small layer of security. So, in theory, they cannot hit them all at once. But, still, the danger persists.

"If they do get ahold of one though...people do not have water...which then causes the fear uncertainty and doubt that affects the everyday person," he says.

If they get into one too, who knows if they have capabilities to hack into another, then another, and create a decent string of hacked water supplies.

But as technology has advanced, why haven't the water systems kept up? That is thanks to aging infrastructure.

"A lot of these have OT systems that will open a valve or other things...that is vulnerable because these are older, and never designed with cyber security in mind...so you have to go back and apply...but with these smaller districts that lack resources, they cannot do that very quickly," he says.

There were many big cyber security attacks in just the last year. There were attacks on iPhones, there was a big attack on 23AndMe, the list goes on.

So, with this ever-rising threat also comes the need to stay prepared in your own home.

"Keep a few cases of bottled water on hand to be prepared...have that preparedness almost like hurricane season...but in this case, it can be for cybersecurity as well," says Malicoat.