:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/d1vhqlrjc8h82r.cloudfront.net/02-10-2021/t_12e0e438feb4461eb446e97f0ec62633_name_image.jpg)
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – JEA wants to assure its customers that the water treated at the company’s facilities is potable due to the existing protocol layers.
At the water treatment facilities at the JEA center, Kevin Holbrooks is the director of environmental compliance, and his job is to make sure the city’s water is safe. He said the attempted drinking water poisoning at a treatment center in the town of Oldsmar, Pinellas County, is worrying.
“We know that people are constantly trying to do that. It is a known fact. The fact that a hacker has achieved his security is worrisome, “Holbrooks said.
Authorities said a hacker entered the Oldsmar water treatment plant in a failed attempt to contaminate the water supply with a caustic chemical. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Monday that someone may have breached the computer system at the Oldsmar water treatment plant on Friday. Gualtieri said the hacker briefly increased the amount of bleach by a factor of more than 100. The sheriff said a supervisor saw the chemical was being tampered with and was able to intervene and reverse it.
Announcements
Holbrooks said JEA has multiple guarantees in place.
“Our systems are monitored 24/7. Feeding speed is controlled remotely and can be controlled from the plant site. We operate on site, checking everything daily. We have people in the field who monitor the field conditions as well as remote sensors throughout our distribution system, ”Holbrooks said.
JEA also has laboratory technicians and scientists who constantly test and analyze water samples to make sure the water is safe to drink. In fact, on average, water is tested more than 45,000 times a year.
When it comes to the computer system used to pump water and add chemicals to the water to make it drinkable, JEA was unable to provide specific details without compromising safety, although the utility provided a statement saying :
“To address the risks that could affect the security and reliability of services, the JEA security program has a layered defense strategy. The JEA security program includes, among other things, vulnerability management, system monitoring, and active response to these threats. These guarantees ensure that JEA actively maintains a highly secure control system.
Announcements
“JEA also has guarantees to protect his system of water. Water treatment facilities are monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and water tests are required and regulated by the state. On average each year, JEA collects and tests more than 45,000 water samples. “
U.S. Sen. Marco of Florida tweeted Monday that what happened in Oldsmar was treated as a matter of national security.
While JEA continues to monitor water quality, JEA officials said they will continue to monitor the investigation in Oldsmar to see if there is anything they can learn from this safety breach.
By 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, more than 7 million computers worldwide had been attacked by hackers.
Cybersecurity expert Chris Hamer said they are not necessarily home computers that hackers are attacking.
“They can be power plants, municipal public water supply services, public transportation systems, hospital police centers,” Hamer said. “Their purpose is to get control of the system so they can rescue it, get into the accounting system to get a refund or remove their bill, or get everyone’s bill back for wrongdoing, or they’re touring to see what they can see.” .
Announcements
In the case of hacking the Oldsmar water system, investigators said it was unclear where the attack came from. Hamer said there is a possibility that the hacker could enter the system via malicious email or an insecure remote desktop program.
“They’re on the Internet all the time and they constantly ring the answering bell, and in this case, most programs respond by identifying what the real process is, so once cataloged, these people will continue to try different passwords until get in there, ”Hamer said.
So if a system has little or no security, Hamer said, no effort is required to infiltrate the system.
Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax – All rights reserved.