White House Adviser Urges the Country Tighten Cybersecurity

The White House is calling out Iranian hackers for targeting US water authorities via cyberattacks, in addition to other ransomware attacks on the US healthcare industry, and imploring the industry to strengthen cybersecurity at home.

During an interview on Friday, deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger said the “Cyber Av3ngers” were waging “unsophisticated” cyberattacks on US organizations, and that these attacks had “minimal impact” on day-to-day operations. However, Neuberger stressed that just because these attacks weren’t as threatening as they could be, that doesn’t mean the situation is secure. In fact, she stressed the opposite.

Neuberger wants the US to “lock our digital doors,” and that “basic practices” would have made a huge impact against these attacks. These attacks, which government officials say are affiliated with Tehran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, have occurred in multiple states, including a municipal water authority in Pennsylvania. Specifically, attackers are targeting logic controllers developed by the Israeli company Unitronics.

Of course, the situation presents a challenge for the US, and other nations, given current geopolitical current events. However, as situations develop around the world, the US can strengthen its position at home, says Neuberger.

One example of this is policy: The EPA recently rescinded a rule that would have forced public water systems to have cybersecurity testing in their audits. Had this rule been in place, perhaps the attacks would have been caught sooner, or prevented entirely.