GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – The Environmental Protection Agency is on high alert; it warns that cyber-attacks against water utilities are becoming more frequent and more severe across the nation.
The EPA recently issued an ‘enforcement alert,’ urging water utilities to take immediate actions to protect drinking water from internal and external attacks that could take down water pumps, filtration centers and disrupt water pressure.
At the Green Bay Water Utility, there are several levels of protection in place. Brian Powell, the General Manager said internal assessments are done routinely when it comes to email and password security.
As far as its operating and filtration systems, it is not susceptible to outside hacking and there’s no internet accessibility and it’s monitored in-person year-round.
“We have staff available 24/7 manning our filter plant, so we are able to make changes on tank settings or pump settings or control our system that way,” said Powell. “Up to this point, the benefits of doing something remotely hasn’t outweighed the risks of someone hacking.”
This isn’t the case for smaller water utilities who rely on remote access to monitor systems. The EPA is asking utilities across the nation to monitor and fix vulnerabilities.
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