Indiana begins offering water systems free cyber assessments
The Indiana Office of Technology announced Tuesday that it now offers cybersecurity assessments to water and wastewater treatment facilities, a sector that is facing a growing barrage of cyberattacks.
The offering will be available through the office’s CyberTrack program, which connects local government agencies with cybersecurity experts at Purdue University and Indiana University. State Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes said in a press release that the program’s expansion is a reaction to the growing trend of cyberattacks volleyed against the state’s critical infrastructure.
“Our partnership over the past two years with Purdue University and Indiana University has been incredibly beneficial to the nearly 100 local governments that have taken part in the cybersecurity assessments,” Barnes said. “Water facilities are frequently being targeted, and its important that we provide them with clear direction on how to improve their cybersecurity.”
Tuesday’s announcement, which the technology office made in conjunction with the state’s Department of Environmental Management, follows an Environmental Protection Agency report last month finding that 9% of public drinking water systems surveyed had “critical” or “high” priority cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, there are approximately 152,000 public drinking water systems. Successful attacks against U.S. water infrastructure are rare, but they aren’t unheard of. A Russian hacking group called the “People’s Cyber Army of Russia” this year took credit for two cyberattacks against water systems in Indiana and Texas.
“We strongly encourage Indiana drinking water and wastewater utilities to take advantage of this opportunity. Safeguarding the integrity of public utility infrastructure is vital to ensuring safe, clean water for Hoosiers,” Brian Rockensuess, commissioner of Indiana’s environmental management agency, said in the release. “IDEM is excited about this partnership, which will help water systems identify vulnerabilities and implement practices to deter and respond to potential threats.”
The evaluations use cybersecurity frameworks from reputable groups including the National Science Foundation’s Trusted CI, the nonprofit Center for Internet Security and the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
According to Indiana’s technology office, the CyberTrack program has completed 100 cybersecurity assessments for local governments since the program began in 2022. State officials said an additional 242 assessments are scheduled through 2026.
