It sounds like the plot of a science fiction movie – foreign hackers gaining access to a dam’s computer system so they could cause a devastating accident. That’s not fantasy, it’s reality. Last week the federal government charged seven hackers linked to the Iranian government with cyberattacks on dozens of banks – and a small dam outside New York City. The hackers sought the controls of a digitally operated sluice gate that could have flooded parts of the city of Rye.
Fortunately, the dam’s gate had been disconnected for maintenance. But Russian hackers probably caused a Dec. 23, 2015 electricity outage in Ukraine by remotely switching breakers to cut power after installing malware to prevent anyone from detecting the attack.
If this can happen in New York or Ukraine, it could happen in any part of Texas.
State and local governments have to start planning cyber-defense strategies if they haven’t already – and we’d bet that not many are. Many local governmental entities don’t have the budget or technical expertise to tackle complicated efforts like this.
But at least the state government does, and it needs to take the lead on this challenge. It can outline basic precautions that cities, counties and utility districts could be taking. Organizations like the Texas Municipal League can do their part too. Together, they could help smaller taxing entities make themselves and the people they serve less vulnerable to this threat. Often it could be something as simple as making sure that crucial functions could be taken off the grid and operated manually. For the full article click here
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