While the incursion was thwarted in time, cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure are a major cause for concern
Last Friday, an unknown attacker accessed the computer systems of a water treatment facility in Oldsmar, Florida, and attempted to poison the city’s water supply by manipulating the chemical levels of sodium hydroxide.
This substance, commonly referred to as lye or caustic soda, is used across various industries and can be found in liquid drain cleaners, detergents and is also used to control water acidity. However, if ingested, it can cause spontaneous vomiting, chest and abdominal pain, difficulty swallowing with drooling, and corrosive injuries.
Speaking at a press conference about the attack, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said that at about 8:00 AM on Friday a plant operator noticed that someone remotely accessed the system he was monitoring. Since the system is often accessed using specialized software by authorized personnel to troubleshoot problems remotely and for monitoring purposes, the operator didn’t give it much thought. The plant serves approximately 15,000 residents.
However, at approximately 1:30 PM local time the operator noticed that the system was being accessed again. This time the perpetrator accessed various functions that control the water being treated including part of the software that controls the levels of sodium hydroxide in the water. They then proceeded to change the levels from 100 parts per million to 11,100 parts per million, after which they exited the system.
“The plant operator immediately reduced the level back to ..
Support the originator by clicking the read the rest link below.
