A top White House official has announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) could soon issue a rule to introduce new cybersecurity requirements into the Sanitary Surveys conducted at water facilities.
The announcement came from Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, and was shared by POLITICO on August 1. An anonymous official also told the news agency that EPA will likely issue the rule some time this summer.
The exact requirements for water facilities’ cybersecurity are not yet clear.
Enhancing national cybersecurity has been a concern for federal agencies for some time. In January, EPA launched a 100-day cybersecurity action plan titled the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative — Water and Wastewater Sector Action Plan. In March, the federal government passed the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, requiring that certain facilities report cyber incidents.
In April, AWWA met with Congress to discuss concerns in the water industry, including cybersecurity. Improving cybersecurity has also been top-of-mind for facilities themselves, where the risks of cyber threats has been accelerating at an all-time high.
