Senate Democrats unveil cybersecurity bill after attacks on water infrastructure
The bill would direct the Environmental Protection Agency to set baseline standards and add $300 million a year for water system defenses.
- On Monday, California Senator Adam Schiff and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar introduced the Water Cyber Shield Act to empower the Environmental Protection Agency to enforce cybersecurity standards for drinking water and wastewater systems.
- This legislation follows recent cyberattacks on at least 30 municipal water systems across about 12 states last month. Officials suspect Iran-affiliated hackers orchestrated the campaign, exposing significant vulnerabilities in aging infrastructure.
- The bill directs the EPA to collaborate with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Institute of Standards and Technology to establish baseline standards, allocating $300 million to assist local utilities in compliance.
- Addressing jurisdictional gaps, the proposal seeks to codify the EPA's authority, which was previously challenged in 2023 when multiple states sued to block similar cybersecurity guidelines. This legal setback had prevented the agency from mandating security measures.
- A Government Accountability Office report warns that mass cyberattacks could contaminate drinking water with bacteria or chemicals. By mandating risk planning, the act aims to address these public health threats and secure increasingly automated, internet-connected municipal systems.
18 Articles
18 Articles
Cyberattacks on US water systems raise alarms, but Congress faces hurdles on a fix
Local leaders across the country are raising alarms after a string of cyberattacks hit water infrastructure in recent weeks, renewing questions about whether lawmakers will act before a more serious incident occurs.Nate George, the mayor of Braham, Minnesota, a city of just under 2,000 people, said his community was among dozens of cities whose water infrastructure was targeted in recent weeks. No damage was done, but the fear of what could have…
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House-passed cyber bill for small businesses gets Senate companion
Small businesses could get better cybersecurity support from the federal government under a new bill from a bipartisan Senate duo. Introduced last week, the Small Business Cybersecurity Assistance Evaluation Act (S.5291) is a companion to H.R. 8880 from Reps. Lateefah Simon, D-Calif., and Rob Bresnahan, R-Pa., which cleared the House in June. The upper chamber’s version, sponsored by Sens. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., and Todd Young, R-Ind., would al…
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