SpyCloud finds password-stealing malware risks US water and wastewater systems
A new study shows that malware stealing employee passwords has put more than a thousand US water and wastewater providers at risk of cyberattacks.
Researchers at SpyCloud found these issues while analyzing systems registered with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), raising concerns about how safe our water infrastructure really is.
Malware compromised 1,787 organizations' logins
SpyCloud discovered that 1,787 organizations had their login info compromised by malware, giving hackers potential access to essential operations.
In one case, a single breach exposed credentials for 167 utility companies through a device on the metering tech provider's network.
As SpyCloud's Jason Lancaster put it, this kind of breach handed criminals the keys to access "a hundred otherwise unrelated organizations."
Recent hacks have also highlighted weak spots like manufacturer-set default passwords in the mechanical switches and physical controllers used by critical infrastructure, showing why stronger security is needed to keep our water supplies safe.