The Biden administration threw its weight behind a bill that would authorize the appropriation of grants for improving the cybersecurity of water treatment facilities.
“S. 914 promotes resiliency projects to address the impacts of climate change and makes explicit that cybersecurity projects are eligible for key programs,” reads a statement of policy the Office of Management and Budget released Tuesday. “The Administration looks forward to working with the Congress on this bipartisan legislation to strengthen our nation’s water systems. This bill is a good start to the much-needed funding required to provide communities with the water quality they deserve and create good-paying jobs.”
It’s not the first time Congress intended for water systems to use grant money for cybersecurity purposes. In 2018, it passed legislation providing $30 million in grants for associated risk and resilience measures but never appropriated the money.
This time around, lawmakers are considering similar authorization legislation—a vote to end debate on the bill on the Senate floor passed Tuesday—in the wake of a cyberattack in Oldsmar, Florida. An unidentified hacker, or hackers, attempted to poison the small city’s water supply by drastically elevating the amount of a chemical used to regulate pH levels. The event prompted calls for more resources for the sector and garnered the attention of Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger, who pledged to prioritize securing the industrial control systems used in water systems and other critical infrastructure.
The bill would provide $25 million for each fiscal year from 2022 through 2026 in grants through a clean water infrastructure resiliency and sustainability program that allows entities ..
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