EPA Finds the Drinking Water for 193 Million Americans Is Vulnerable to Cyberattacks [Video]

The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Office of Inspector General is warning millions of Americans that their water may be vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks. 

On Nov. 13, the agency released its Management Implication Report, highlighting vulnerabilities throughout the drinking and wastewater utility industry across the nation. The report conducted a “passive assessment,” which covered 1,062 drinking water systems that serve 193 million people across the United States, to identify “cybersecurity vulnerabilities.” It noted that its results from an October 8, 2024 scan identified 97 drinking water systems, which serve approximately 26.6 million users, as having “critical or high-risk cybersecurity vulnerabilities.”