We recently posted about security threats that have affected water utilities in Colorado and nationally.
November 12, 2021 article: Threats on the Rise, Take Action Today!
June 2, 2021 article: Roxborough Water and Sanitation emerged a champion of cybersecurity
The Safe Drinking Water Program assembled a security toolbox webpage designed to help water utilities plan for, prevent, and guide responses to security threats including general malevolent acts, cyberattacks, tampering, and violent acts. The tool box has two sections, one for general tampering events, such as vandalism, malevolent acts, introduction of contamination, violent acts, and terrorism attacks and the second is specifically for cybersecurity attacks. All malevolent acts pose a threat to water/wastewater utilities and are sometimes overlooked in Risk and Resilience Assessments as well as Emergency Response Planning efforts. Malevolent acts can affect your critical infrastructure by creating contamination events or by slowing or stopping your facility’s ability to function. The purpose of the toolbox is to help your system build resilience and protect public health by preparing for these potentially dire events.
Here are some definitions and explanations to help provide more context for this subject:
Tampering events can be any of the following:
Introducing a contaminant into a public water system or drinking water.
Interfering with drinking water or the operation of a public water system with the intention of harming people or public water systems.
Threats of the above items.
Per regulation 11.2(1), tampering events or threats of tampering must be reported to the department:
As soon as possible but no later than 10:00 a.m. the following day.
In writing, no later than five calendar days after an event occurs.
What does not constitute a tampering event?
Any vandalism on the exterior of facilities that poses no risk to public health.
Cybersecurity attacks and events:
There has been a recent increase in assaults launched by cybercriminals using one or more computers against a single or multiple computers or networks.
A cyberattack can maliciously disable computers, steal data, lockout users, or use a breached computer as a launch point for other attacks.
Here are the resources that are provided in the toolbox:
Malevolent Act Resources : Documents to aid water utility preparation and response to malevolent acts including tampering, vandalism, and terrorism events
Cybersecurity Resources: Documents to aid water utilities in preparing for and responding to cybersecurity events
Guidance: Report and Respond to Tampering Events or Security Threats Drinking Water Facilities Response
Guidance: Respond and Report Cyberattacks Drinking Water Facilities Response
Tampering, Threat, and Incident Form: Use this form to report incidents
The water quality control division is dedicated to helping you and your utility protect the health of all Coloradans. A crucial aspect of this protection is to take action to prevent, plan for, and understand the role you play in responding to security threats and actions taken against your critical infrastructure.
