For Albuquerque’s Water Authority, a New Vision for Cybersecurity
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An ongoing convergence of enterprise and operational technology is proving new opportunities for the utility to secure its operations.
May 11, 2021 • An ongoing convergence of enterprise and operational technology is proving new opportunities for the utility to secure its operations.
Oldsmar, Florida, may not be the best-known Florida municipality. But after a concerning and potentially dangerous hacking incident in early 2021, it was front and center for all water utilities and municipal leaders across the globe.
During the incident, the attackers briefly used remote access systems in an attempt to increase the amount of caustic soda, or lye, used in the city’s water treatment system to potentially toxic levels. Luckily, technicians quickly detected the intrusion before harm could be inflicted. But it surely served as a wakeup call for water utilities and
Published Thursday, May 6, 2021
by Elyse Kelly | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) - A New Mexico court ruling has the State Engineer s Office and others petitioning for a rehearing, saying the state has been stripped of its rights to control its own water.
While the background is complex, the dispute initiated when a water rights settlement between the Navajo Nation and the state was contested by the San Juan Agricultural Water Users Association.
Within the State Court of Appeals decision to uphold the settlement is the root of the issue. In its finding, the court wrote that the state of New Mexico lacks any ownership claim on the water within its borders and that the settlement agreement preempts state law.
From IoT to cybersecurity, Albuquerque future proofs its water utility. Cisco
When hackers threatened the water supply in Oldsmar, Fla., last month, it highlighted the critical importance of these utilities along with their placement in the cross hairs of cybercriminals around the world.
“Since Florida, a lot of folks have become aware that this very possibly could happen to their utilities,” said Sielen Namdar, Cisco’s global water business lead. “And the last thing utilities want is to endanger the public.”
Unfortunately, too many water utilities depend on backward technologies, with little visibility into just what is happening in their networks or physical infrastructures. In Oldsmar, for example, hackers took advantage of a remote-access system that was beyond their security perimeter. And when levels of lye approached dangerous levels, it was blind luck that an operator happened to notice.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The State of New Mexico and the City of Albuquerque have pledged economic assistance, contingent upon approval by the Albuquerque City Council, so that Affordable Solar can double the size of its Albuquerque fabrication facility and corporate headquarters.
Affordable Solar, established in New Mexico in 1998, offers large-scale solar and energy storage integration throughout the Western United States. The company has seen rapid growth with its technologies and plans to scale up business as state and national policies boost renewable energy and combat climate change. The project requires approval of the Albuquerque City Council.
“Albuquerque is becoming an important hub for the alternative energy industry and supporting Affordable Solar means we can help the climate and grow good manufacturing jobs right here in New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said.