Bottom line: The new bill would allocate $300 million annually to fund water system cybersecurity improvements, a 22-fold increase from the current CISA funding.
What's happening: Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Alexi Giannoulias (D-IL) introduced the bill, which would allocate $300 million annually to fund cybersecurity improvements for the water and wastewater sector. The current allocation from CISA is $13.5 million, and the bill aims to increase this funding by 22-fold. This funding would support the development of new cybersecurity tools and training programs for water utilities.
What to do: Security leaders should review their water system's vulnerability assessments and prioritize investments in cybersecurity to ensure compliance with the new regulations. They should also consider implementing zero-trust network architecture to prevent lateral movement in the event of a breach.