Cyberattacks are becoming increasingly common. And in recent times, water treatment facilities have become easy targets. This means an increased threat to public health.

In this article, we will explore some of the threats of cyberattacks to water treatment facilities and how to prevent them.

Water Treatment Facilities Are at Risk of CyberAttacks

Water treatment facilities are becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. These attacks can have a devastating effect on the water supply and the infrastructure that supports it. 

Water treatment facilities are increasingly reliant on computerized systems to control and monitor the operational technology (OT) process. This reliance makes these facilities more vulnerable to cyberattacks. There have been many recent cyberattacks on water treatment facilities, and this trend is expected to continue.

Apart from the danger to public health, other serious issues include disruption of operations, data theft, and destruction of computer systems. 

Three types of cyber attacks typically pose the greatest danger to water treatment systems. These are ransomware, phishing, and outdated software. 

• Ransomware, as the name suggests, is malicious software (malware) that is injected into a system. The sole aim is to block you from accessing your data until a ransom is paid. 
• Phishing is a criminal attempt to gain remote access, obtain sensitive information, or get paid by luring victims through a fake email. If a single employee falls for a phishing attempt, the entire system is compromised. 
• Outdated software is mostly targeted by hackers because it may no longer be in use and hence no longer protected.

Six Strategies for Protecting Your Water Treatment Facilities From Cyberattacks

Water treatment facilities have already been targeted in the past. More attacks could have grave consequences for both the end users and the plant operators. So, here are six ways you can prevent cyber attacks in your water treatment facility. 

1. Get a Trusted Cybersecurity Partner

The first step to protecting your facility from attacks is to have experts available on demand. It can be expensive to keep a full-time cybersecurity department. What organizations can do is seek cybersecurity solutions through a trusted cybersecurity partner. 

This is a cost-effective strategy to have their expertise available when needed. Cybersecurity solutions will help to develop, plan, and execute strategies for protecting the facility from attacks. It will also benefit your facility if you get cybersecurity solutions that deal with both IT and OT systems.

2. Have a Cybersecurity Coordinator

Identify a member of staff who has the requisite knowledge of how your OT systems work. This must be someone with experience and with an eye for detail. They should have sound knowledge of the technical environment and the authority to make quick decisions, implement best practices, and manage incidents. 

This person will also serve as a point of contact for the facility on all issues relating to cybersecurity. They will work closely with your OT cybersecurity partners to ensure that the facility is protected at all times. 

3. Closely Monitor Access to Your Systems 

Protecting your facility from cyber attacks requires you to deliberately limit access to your systems. Sometimes, cyber attacks originate from within an organization. Hence, all employees must be properly verified and vetted. Create an inventory of all devices linked to the system and the people who have access to these devices. 

Anyone requesting access must be thoroughly validated and such access must be for a limited time. Also, the purpose and context within which the access is requested must be known. This is a proactive measure to reduce the chances of breaches in the system

4. Educate Your Employees 

If your employees are not prepared against cyberattacks, it means the organization as a whole is not prepared. Making sure that your employees are aware of the dangers of cyberattacks makes a huge difference. 

Managers of water treatment facilities should create worker education programs. The aim will be to expose the types of attacks that are common to the water industry. The training will also expose the tricks used by attackers and the simple ways to mitigate them. 

Employees should be trained on how to identify suspicious activity in the systems and taught never to share their passwords with anyone. The IT personnel responsible for cybersecurity must immediately block employees who leave the company to avoid unauthorized access. This ensures that hackers do not gain access to the facility’s system through an abandoned account. 

5. Organize Periodic Risk Assessment

Check your systems regularly. This is one way you can stay ahead and make sure that your facility is protected at all times. Regular internal reviews help you spot any breaches or suspicious activity. However, internal assessments are not enough. Scheduling annual assessments by experts will make sure that all ends are covered. 

This assessment can be carried out by your cybersecurity partner. These experts can provide an objective and professional view. You can plan a rotation such that each year, different types of cyber risk assessments are carried out. This helps to ensure a broader reach. 

6. Develop a Quick Response Plan 

While you may not always be able to prevent a breach from occurring, you can be prepared if it happens. Being prepared with a cybersecurity incident response plan helps to reduce the damage when a breach occurs. It can help to ensure that operations are not disrupted or shut down. 

This plan can include exercises and walk-throughs with all stakeholders. It should, however, be reviewed and updated regularly as more data and information are made available. This helps to ensure that everyone knows what their role is during an attack and is adequately prepared. Doing this can minimize the impact of such attacks on the facility.

Conclusion

With the recent threats and challenges faced by local water infrastructures, having an advanced cybersecurity program is now more important than ever. A proactive approach will ensure that threats are detected more quickly. It will also ensure that responses are deployed faster before any significant damage is done to plant operations.

Regular training, assessments, and updates will ensure that all stakeholders are adequately prepared in the case of occurrences. Organizations that cannot handle breaches internally should look for cost-effective cybersecurity service providers. They must, however, ensure that the quality of service and operations is not compromised. 

Having experts who can quickly take charge of an infected system is a necessary precaution. They can take the necessary steps to isolate and contain the data breach. This goes a long way in ensuring that facilities can remain on their feet even after cybersecurity attacks.