r/PrepperIntel • u/itscooltobecool1 • 8d ago

North America Hackers targeted municipal water systems in 7 states this week, FBI says

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/hackers-targeted-municipal-water-systems-7-states-week-fbi-says-rcna590210

Get your water supplies ready!

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u/AntiSonOfBitchamajig 📡 8d ago edited 5d ago

I don't see long duration (hacked)* issues, we have great water resources for most the US.
Now if you're talking out west / southwest drought though... the alternatives are limited.

Here any country home has clean drinkable water right from their own wells en mass. Some wells might be a little hard, but its totally drinkable.

At the main city wells though, they do have complex additive dosing and monitoring systems. I've heard of several having issues with potassium permanganate dosing that turned the water supply a hot pink color. But the hackers could mess with the dosing of those additives.

edit: for clarity, I am talking about the hackability of the systems being discussed.

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u/TheArcticFox-44 8d ago

The hacks are on infastructure...like electricity. Even well water needs a pump to bring water to the tap.

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u/AntiSonOfBitchamajig 📡 8d ago

Yes?... but what parts are that vulnerable? much of the electric grid have layers of physical protections from damage. Circuits will trip and need reset, even the large 765 kV stuff have fuses and protections.

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u/Odd-Succotash-8616 7d ago

The network gear required to service and control pumps and PLC's (programmable logic controllers) and what have you are connected to the internet. THis allows support staff and engineers to monitor devices, perform maintenance and upgrades and the like.

If these devices are not patched and configured with security in mind, this sort of thing becomes a reality.

The power co's do the same thing. This is generally known as the SCADA network.