The Biden administration has reportedly warned state governors of a potential cyberattack on US water management systems by hackers linked to Iran and China.
The White House and Environmental Protection Agency letter prompts governors to prepare ahead of time and strengthen their cybersecurity measures against a possible attack.
The National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and EPA Administrator Michael Regan reportedly wrote the letter to governors advising them to ensure all water systems in their states thoroughly evaluate their current cybersecurity procedures.
(Photo: CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images) Law enforcement agencies have been using Cellebrite's phone hacking technology to access locked devices.
According to Regan and Sullivan, water facilities frequently lack even the most basic cybersecurity safeguards, which might be the difference between a disruptive cyberattack and regular operations.
According to reports, these possible attacks might seriously harm the vital supply of safe and clean drinking water and put a heavy financial burden on the impacted areas.
The letter seeks to outline the nature of these threats and asks for cooperation from the governors on crucial measures to protect water systems from the growing threats and fallout from cyberattacks.
According to Regan and Sullivan's letter, the EPA will establish a "task force" to determine the water systems' greatest susceptibilities to cyberattacks, among other urgent matters.
To explore the need for cybersecurity advancements in the water industry, the Biden representatives invited state homeland security and environmental officials to a meeting.
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Alleged Cyberattacks on US
China has been connected to potential US hacking regularly. Previous reports claim that late last year, the Chinese hacker organization "Volt Typhoon" allegedly attacked US infrastructure, including water, power, and communications services. Actions allegedly intended to foment unrest and prepare for a potential U.S.-China confrontation.
These claims, according to U.S. officials, are that the invasions are part of a wider effort to come up with plans for wreaking havoc or making things more difficult if the United States and China engage in combat over Taiwan.
The experts who reported this claim that within the previous year, hackers connected to China's People's Liberation Army had gained access to the computer systems of roughly twenty-six important organizations.
Cyberattacks Against Other Nations
In January 2023, the UK's cyber security agency released a study stating that state-affiliated hackers from Russia and Iran are progressively aiming to breach email accounts in Britain. This suggests that hackers with state support are not limited to the US.
These hackers are allegedly based in the US and other NATO members, and they have increased their activities in the UK as a result of the current circumstances in Ukraine. These gangs allegedly want to steal private information from well-known people.
Threat actors from the two distinct groups, based in Russia and Iran, according to NCSC operations director Paul Chichester, continue to get access to potentially sensitive networks by pilfering login credentials online.
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(Photo: Tech Times)
