Water System Hacking: Should Your Family Be Worried?

Security and insurance experts recently participated in a secret war game simulation to test what would happen if hackers attacked U.S. water supply systems. The simulation focused on a hacking group called Volt Typhoon, which has connections to China. The exercise imagined scenarios including burst water mains and hospitals being evacuated due to water system failures. This type of attack would affect entire communities if it happened in real life. Unlike a data breach where information is stolen, an attack on water systems could disrupt the actual flow of clean water to homes, schools, and hospitals. The simulation revealed a nightmare scenario where basic services that families rely on every day could be interrupted. However, this was a planning exercise, not an actual attack.

Here is what you should do right now:

1. Keep at least three days of drinking water stored at home for your family. Plan for one gallon per person per day.
2. Know your local emergency alert systems. Sign up for community alerts from your city or county to receive notifications about water safety or service interruptions.
3. Have a basic emergency kit ready that includes water, non-perishable food, flashlights, batteries, and a first aid kit.
4. Teach your family what to do if you receive a boil water notice or water service interruption alert. While you cannot directly prevent attacks on public infrastructure, you can prepare your family for any type of emergency that might disrupt basic services. The same preparations that help during natural disasters like storms or earthquakes also work for infrastructure problems. Check your emergency supplies twice a year, and make sure every family member knows where they are kept and what to do in an emergency.