Remember hearing those warnings when traveling to certain countries? Don’t drink the water? Now, there are warnings all over the place about America’s drinking water. Apparently, all the news outlets have received their media packets to sound the alarm and try to put fear into the citizens of the United States.
CNN, Newsweek, and USA Today are some mainstream media outlets that tell the tale, along with several local news organizations.
But let’s go back to January when FBI Director Christopher Wray warned us all this year.
WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) – Hackers linked to the Chinese government are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, preparing to cause “real-world harm” to Americans, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a congressional committee on Wednesday.
Water treatment plants, the electric grid, oil and natural gas pipelines and transportation hubs are among the targets of state-sponsored hacking operations, he told the House of Representatives Select Committee on competition with China Wray spoke the same day U.S. officials announced that they had disrupted a sweeping Chinese cyber-spying operation. – Reuters
Before we go any further, yes, I know this is an election year, so who knows if any of this is real. I feel the need to mention that only because of COVID-19 nostalgia.
#BREAKING: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has sent out a warning that cyberattacks against water utilities are becoming more frequent and severe, urging immediate steps to protect the nation’s drinking water from future attacks pic.twitter.com/CWh53oM2vL
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 20, 2024
This Ongoing Cyber Threat to U.S. Water and Wastewater Systems was last updated on the CISA.gov website in October 2021. Since it is nothing new, maybe the media is amplifying it.
According to Google News, all these stories were published between 1 hour and 16 hours ago, like breaking news.
Election year, indeed.
Are we not always under some sort of threat of cyber attacks? Maybe the difference today is the incompetence of DEI hires and this paper doll incompetent administration.
It also looks like the EPA is behind all these bullhorn media warnings this morning. They’ve decided to amplify the October 2021 cyber attack warnings this week.
From local news in Los Angeles:
Water systems operating off Windows 98 because they don’t have the money to upgrade?
More than 70% of water systems the EPA has inspected since September violate “basic” requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act, according to the agency.
A spate of cybercriminal and state-backed hacks against US water facilities in the last six months has alarmed senior US officials because of the ease with which the hackers accessed sensitive equipment at the facilities. A Russian-speaking hacking group claimed credit for a cyberattack in January that caused a tank at a Texas water facility to overflow. – CNN
The EPA is increasing inspection and enforcement in their recent warnings.
Other warnings of cyber attacks include healthcare, manufacturing, and education. To learn more about any of these warnings, visit CISA.gov.
According to Newsweek, these water systems must be overhauled and updated. Why do we let these things lag? Is it due to red tape in trying to get anything done? This is more proof that our government is way too big. Or perhaps we are too busy making sure men can use the women’s restrooms.
Is this a huge threat that we should be worried about, that the media is telling us? I don’t know. But I suggest they upgrade the software and change passwords regularly.
Feature Image: Made in Canva Pro
Hermes says: Windows 98….well if it was an ISOLATED ( not internet connected ) system, there is a much reduced-but not completely-chance of attack. Of course, if it IS monetary related – going from windows 98 to windows 11 means new hardware AND software probably-then you might want to think of switching from windows to something else. Apple, Linux maybe.
Hermes says: Windows 98….well if it was an ISOLATED ( not internet connected ) system, there is a much reduced-but not completely-chance of attack. Of course, if it IS monetary related – going from windows 98 to windows 11 means new hardware AND software probably-then you might want to think of switching from windows to something else. Apple, Linux maybe.
Of course, this applies to an internet connected system and granted, the switch to a different O/S might seem anathema, however it does have its advantages. Will it cost a bit? Sure, but less than an “upgrade” to windows 11. Even if you stick to windows…I wonder how many unemployed programmers exist that could be of significant help in rewriting/modifying the existing application code base? I wonder how many would apply in this economy?
GWB says: Yep, scaring the electorate. Because it’s the only way they know how to do things.
Also, a bunch of morons in gov’t at all levels, not willing to do what they need to do.
John Shepherd says: Bad thing happens out of the blue — the Intel agencies are incompetent.
Intel agencies warn of a potential threat — they are trying to scare the electorate in an election year.
Choose one.
GWB says: Not the only two options. They could treat it as an issue and not try to raise it to levels of doom and catastrophe.
John Shepherd says: If they low key and you don’t know it you will go with option 1 when something bad happens.
Thing is, they keep on trying to detect and forestall cyberattacks – when NO critical infrastructure should EVER be connected to the “internet of things.”
John Shepherd says: That is true but most critical infrastructure needs to be internally networked. The most overlooked threat to any networked system is the insider threat so even if critical infrastructure is not connected to the internet of things there is always a potential Edward Snowden lurking in the wings.
That is, of course, true. But air gapping is the base of proper security for vital installations. It doesn’t matter how reliable and loyal your people are, when you leave yourself open to the world.
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