The domestic water supply is a critical asset for communities across the country. Congress has recognized this and instigated regulations that all communities with a population of over 3,300 have to follow. This regulation is via America’s Water Infrastructure Act of 2018 (AWIA), governed and enforced by the EPA. The AWIA requires that water management authorities undertake physical and cyber risk assessments of their systems and create or update Emergency Response Plans (ERPs) to cover both areas. For more information on the AWIA, see the end of this article.
There is an increased focus on protecting water supply systems at present due to compliance deadlines within the AWIA, and the publicity surrounding the 2021 the water treatment systems cyber attack on Oldsmar, Florida. That incident is a good reminder of why the AWIA, and the work required to comply, is more than just a box-ticking exercise.
Unfortunately, with AWIA deadlines looming and many smaller water management authorities not being experienced in cybersecurity, some companies are trying to take advantage. Critical Insight understands all three issues that authorities face with AWIA compliance: physical infrastructure protection, cyber security, and budget constraints.
The Critical Insight AWIA assessment teams have extensive experience in both physical and cyber infrastructure analysis and protection. We are not cyber security experts trying to extend into physical infrastructure. Nor are we physical infrastructure protection experts expanding into cyber security. We have dedicated experts for both.
Our security consultants already provide AWIA assessments and consultancy under existing municipal Managed Detection and Response (MDR) projects. They know how to get into the mindset of malicious adversaries who targetwater infrastructure. They think like criminals to find weak spots in physical and cyber systems on-site and remotely over the Internet.
Our assessment teams are experienced, efficient, and focused on AWIA and related physical and cyber security issues. This allows our teams to assist water management authorities with their AWIA assessments and response plans for about half the cost that we see others charging. Without any loss in quality of the assessment, advice given, and the ERP documentation to show AWIA compliance.
Contact usto find out how Critical Insight can help with your AWIA assessment with cyber.
