Cyberattacks on water utilities in highly water-stressed areas threaten to disrupt agriculture and industrial processes, exacerbate social unrest and cause civilian casualties, especially in periods of high tension or outright conflict. As the effects of climate change become increasingly palpable, particularly in geographic regions with high water stress, scrutiny of cyber threat actors' potential disruption of water flows is rising. Across the West, including the United States and much of Europe, water systems tend to be more vulnerable than other types of critical infrastructure due in large part to the fact that they are more likely to be municipally owned or operated by smaller utility companies. As a result, these systems are more likely to rely on local taxes and water rates to make up their budgets, frequently leading to financial constraints. Therefore, many water systems operators struggle to adequately update security measures, such as by replacing aging equipment, implementing...
