White House Calls on States to Boost Cybersecurity in Water Sector 

White House Calls on States to Boost Cybersecurity in Water Sector 

March 20, 2024 at 08:03AM

The White House has called for a meeting with state agencies to discuss protecting water and wastewater infrastructure from cyber threats. The one-hour virtual meeting on March 21 will focus on US government efforts to enhance cybersecurity, address vulnerabilities, and urge immediate action to safeguard critical infrastructure. The White House has raised concerns about potentially disabling cyberattacks from Iranian and Chinese state-sponsored threat actors and is seeking support in implementing rigorous cybersecurity measures. They also announced the formation of a Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force to address these risks. EPA and CISA are providing guidance and resources to help water systems enhance their resilience against cyber threats.

Certainly! From these meeting notes, I have gathered the following key takeaways:

– The White House has called for a meeting on March 21 to address cybersecurity in the water and wastewater critical infrastructure, inviting state environmental, health, and homeland security agencies to participate.

– The meeting aims to highlight US government efforts to enhance cybersecurity in the water sector, identify gaps, and prompt immediate action from states and water systems to safeguard against disabling cyberattacks.

– The White House has raised concerns about threats to water systems, specifically citing Iranian and Chinese state-sponsored threat actors as carrying out malicious cyberattacks targeting US critical infrastructure.

– The administration is seeking support from government agencies to aid the EPA in addressing the risk of cyberattacks on water critical infrastructure, requiring water systems to assess their current cybersecurity practices, deploy controls to mitigate risks, and prepare for and respond to cyber incidents.

– In response to these challenges, the White House announced the formation of a Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force, in collaboration with the EPA and the cybersecurity agency CISA, to identify actions and strategies to reduce the risk of cyberattacks on water systems nationwide.

– Additionally, the EPA and CISA are providing guidance and resources to assist water systems in improving their resilience to threats and hazards.

If you need further details or have any specific questions about these notes, feel free to ask!

Full Article