Water trade groups urge lawmakers to consider cyber training and more funding for their facilities | CyberScoop<\/title> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/water-trade-groups-cyber-protections-house-hearing-epa\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Water trade groups urge lawmakers to consider cyber training and more funding for their facilities\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"House subcommittee members make the case that more EPA regulatory efforts surrounding water facilities could \u201cdo more harm than good.\u201d\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/water-trade-groups-cyber-protections-house-hearing-epa\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-02-01T00:01:50+00:00\"> <meta property=\"article:modified_time\" 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class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.08358662614\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"29.574394463668\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/cybersecurity\/\"> <span>Cybersecurity<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> House subcommittee members make the case that more EPA regulatory efforts surrounding water facilities could \u201cdo more harm than good.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities.jpg?resize=640%2C427&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=1536,1025 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=505,337 505w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=1012,675 1012w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-2.jpg?resize=1264,843 1264w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\"><figcaption> A water treatment plant. (Getty Images) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"45.992850049652\"><body readability=\"93.705429670799\"><\/p>\n<p>Top water trade association officials voiced concerns to House Energy and Commerce Committee lawmakers Wednesday about the need for cyber training and additional government funding for their facilities, in a hearing focused on federal attempts to better secure the thousands of water systems throughout the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>As committee members considered where the federal government fits in assisting the critical infrastructure sector that is being targeted by adversarial nations like China, top national security officials at a separate House hearing sounded the alarm on threats of that kind, particularly for sectors like water and wastewater that lack protections as strong as those in the electric industry. Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the NSA, <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/chinese-cyber-threats-fbi-operation-botnet\/\">said at the hearing<\/a> that there is \u201cno reason\u201d for Beijing hackers to be in the water supply, other than to target civilians.<\/p>\n<p>The Republican-led Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials subcommittee panned any potential new cybersecurity regulations during the hearing. Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., said during her opening statement that new regulations \u201cmay do more harm than good,\u201d adding that the Environmental Protection Agency should not \u201cbe in the business of micromanaging\u201d utilities.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Ga., who chairs the subcommittee, said that the sector needs \u201ctechnical knowledge and resources,\u201d not new regulations from the EPA.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In October 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/epa-calls-off-cyber-regulations-for-water-sector\/\">shelved a memo<\/a> that required cybersecurity audits for water utilities through state sanitary surveys. While the effectiveness of the proposed regulations were <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/water-sector-epa-rules-change-misguided\/\">questioned by experts<\/a>, the initiative represented a rare example of the government trying to force water utilities to devote greater resources to security after decades of underinvestment in the defense of digital systems.<\/p>\n<p>However, while the witnesses \u2014 all trade organizations from the water industry \u2014 brought up the <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/epa-water-cyber-regulations\/\">same concerns initially levied when EPA announced the memo<\/a>, they also reiterated the need for additional resources and training from the government.<\/p>\n<p>Cathy Tucker-Vogel, a public water supply section chief of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment who was speaking on behalf of the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, noted a partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency that started last week that includes additional training and access to expert help when it comes to cybersecurity assessments.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe water operators are very receptive and they want the training and they want to make sure that they\u2019re putting appropriate protections in place, so there\u2019s not a resistance to doing something,\u201d Tucker-Vogel said. \u201cIt\u2019s just they have a lack of understanding of what it is they need to do and when you start talking cybersecurity, it\u2019s almost like a foreign language.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The witnesses also called for additional funding from Congress. While there are funds through various EPA grants and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2021\/11\/15\/1055841358\/biden-signs-1t-bipartisan-infrastructure-bill-into-law\">$1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure law<\/a>, many of those are focused on ensuring the water is clean, as opposed to protecting technology that undergirds it.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cA lot of money is being put forth for a lot of different infrastructure and we\u2019ve been focused on the quality issue of water and not necessarily cyber,\u201d said Scott Dewhirst, superintendent and chief operating officer at Tacoma Water, speaking on behalf of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies. \u201cTo be told this is for cyber purposes, I think you would see some action take place.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kevin Morley, manager of federal regulations for the American Water Works Association, reiterated the group\u2019s call for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.awwa.org\/Portals\/0\/AWWA\/Government\/STRENGTHENINGTHECYBERRESILIENCEOFAMERICASWATERSYSTEMS-INDUSTRY-LEDREGULATORYOPTIONS.pdf\">regulatory framework<\/a> similar to the electric industry, which consists of an industry-led organization to develop standards overseen and audited by the EPA.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing also comes shortly after a <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/cisa-fbi-epa-water-unitronics\/\">series of hacks<\/a> on an Israeli-based manufacturer by CyberAv3ngers, a group linked to Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that often overstate their hacks. Those attacks hit several water facilities.<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., who represents a district whose water utility was hit by the CyberAv3ngers\u2019 spree, sent a <a href=\"https:\/\/deluzio.house.gov\/sites\/evo-subsites\/deluzio.house.gov\/files\/evo-media-document\/deluzio-ec-letter-cybersecurity-water-sector-final.pdf\">letter on Tuesday<\/a> to members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee as well as the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials subcommittee. Deluzio\u2019s letter called on lawmakers to outfit the EPA with \u201cthe tools and resources it needs to support and coordinate with the water sector to prepare for and build resilience against risks like cyber threats.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\" readability=\"1.4157303370787\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"9\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities-1.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Christian Vasquez\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Christian Vasquez<\/h4>\n<p> Christian covers industrial cybersecurity for CyberScoop News. He previously wrote for E&E News at POLITICO covering cybersecurity in the energy sector. Reach out: christian.vasquez at cyberscoop dot com <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div class=\"popular-stories__container\">\n<h2 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{"id":2458,"date":"2024-02-01T00:01:50","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T00:01:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=79002"},"modified":"2024-02-01T00:01:50","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T00:01:50","slug":"water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/02\/01\/water-trade-groups-urge-lawmakers-to-consider-cyber-training-and-more-funding-for-their-facilities\/","title":{"rendered":"Water trade groups urge lawmakers to consider cyber training and more funding for their facilities"},"content":{"rendered":"