The historic drought is causing many western officials to look to the future, and other potential problems, as the water supply continues to shrink.
A California State Senator says that it may sound like something from a spy movie, but officials need to upgrade their cyberinfrastructure to help combat the shortage, especially as it becomes more common.
According to Sen. Melissa Hurtado, “One of those attacks occurred last year and highlighted the risk our water and water treatment plants are facing. In this attack, the hackers targeted the chemical treatment of a drinking water plant in the Bay Area, raising the chemicals to dangerous levels. Fortunately, staff at the plant noticed the increases and managed to reverse them before it was too late or caused any harm. A similar attack took place in Florida, and a third took place in New York. This time, though, the hackers infiltrated the cyberinfrastructure of a dam.”
If hackers get control of a state’s water supply, it could cause serious damage up and down the pipeline.
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