The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced $9 million in grant funding to help protect drinking water systems from cybersecurity threats and natural disasters. Authorized by Congress through the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), this grant program is now open for applications from public water systems serving 10,000 people or more.
The EPA has also published a report - Securing the Future of Water: Addressing Cyber Threats Today - with key recommendations to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in the water sector. Specifically, it calls for enhanced coordination and collaboration across government, associations, and water utilities. Water systems are encouraged to standardize security measures and enhance access to technical assistance.
Cyberattacks against water systems have increased over the past few years. Such attacks can disrupt or contaminate drinking water. Federal partners and utilities have a collective responsibility to ensure cyber threats do not imperil this critical lifeline of clean and safe water.
