Cyber training, increased government funding sought by water trade groups

Increasing cybersecurity threats against U.S. water systems have prompted numerous water industry trade organizations to urge House Energy and Commerce Committee legislators to advance more extensive cybersecurity training programs and cybersecurity assessments, as well as increased cybersecurity spending, CyberScoop reports. Many water operators have been open to having cybersecurity training programs that would help them better understand the intricacies of cybersecurity, said Kansas Department of Health and Environment Public Water Supply Section Chief Cathy Tucker-Vogel, who represented the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators, during a House committee hearing. Meanwhile, Tucker Water Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer Scott Dewhirst, who represented the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, noted that most of the funding given by the federal government to the water sector was allocated toward ensuring water quality and not cybersecurity. Lawmakers have also been pushed by the American Water Works Association to establish a regulatory framework for the water industry but additional cybersecurity regulations have been rejected by the House Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials subcommittee.