Security News > 2021 > February > FBI, Secret Service investigating cyberattack on Florida water treatment plant
Federal law enforcement is now looking into a cyberattack at a water treatment plant in Oldsmar, FL where someone was able to remotely access systems and add a dangerous amount of chemicals to the town's water supply.
On Monday, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri explained during a press conference that an employee at Oldsmar's water treatment facility saw his mouse moving independently of him on Friday morning but thought nothing of it-it's common for people in the field to remotely access systems through their TeamViewer software.
Gualtieri and others working at the plant said there was never any danger because the treatment plant has multiple systems in place to make sure that a change like that could not be implemented.
Seyi Fabode, CEO of water distribution system monitoring company Varuna, explained that the water system industry is losing a significant amount of expertise as a generation of experts retires, leaving many treatment facilities scrambling to find people who are able to detect any anomalous changes like the one the hacker was trying to achieve.
"Water facilities rely on systems control and data acquisition systems to manage the automated process or water distribution and treatment. Many of these industrial control systems are outdated, unpatched, and available for review on the Internet, leaving them incredibly vulnerable to compromise," Berglas said.
"Public utilities, including power and water systems, have been prime cyberattack targets for years. There's a whole Russian cyber team, 'Energetic Bear,' focused on hacking American energy infrastructure," said Sheth.