The Rise of Ransomware: How Water Utilities can Confront a Growing Cybersecurity Threat

Cybercriminals seek out potentially vulnerable systems operated by organizations with deep pockets and a high public profile. This makes water utilities an enticing target because utilities often rely on taxpayer funding and aging network infrastructure to meet demanding safety, environmental and performance regulations.

Law enforcement is often at a loss to help because crypto currencies, such as Bitcoin, give hackers an anonymous method to accept ransom payments. In May 2019, CNN reported that at least 170 city, county or state systems have been attacked since 2013. There were more than 22 attacks by May 2019 alone.

America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 began requiring all community water systems serving populations greater than 3,300 to conduct cybersecurity threat risk and resilience assessments.

Download the guide for a more in-depth breakdown of the new requirement and the five steps to secure your operations.