Tag: ixden
US water supply threatened by cyber-attacks
The USA’s drinking water is under threat. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 97 drinking water systems serving around 27 million users have critical or high-risk cybersecurity. Although the EPA’s latest report focuses on the potential financial costs of cyber-attacks, there is also strong evidence that such attacks could also result in significant loss of life, with thousands or even millions of people being deliberately poisoned by terrorists or a hostile foreign power. “We estimate that a [California] state-wide water service disruption could potentially cost at least $61 billion in lost revenue per day,” says the EPA report, Cybersecurity Concerns Related to Drinking Water Systems.
Exclusive: Hostile nations ramp up attacks on US infrastructure
Recent reports that ransomware attacks on industrial organizations increased by over 50 percent in 2023 represent only “the tip of the iceberg.” According to operational technology (OT) cybersecurity company IXDen, critical infrastructure across the US is being attacked at unprecedented levels. “The vast majority of cyber breaches of critical infrastructure such as water and power facilities go unreported, although a precise figure is impossible to gauge. Those that are reported in the media are only the tip of the iceberg. OT attacks on private businesses are not reported at all, and in public organizations, they are rarely reported,” says IXDen CEO and Co-Founder Zion Harel.