Northern New York to receive state funding in the wake of US cyberattacks
SARANAC LAKE, N.Y. —
Multiple communities in the North Country and Adirondacks are receiving grant funds from New York state after recent cyberattacks on water systems have been reported in different U.S. states.
Plattsburgh, Malone, Ticonderoga and Saranac Lake are among those receiving a slice of nearly $700,000.
There have been no reports of such cyberattacks in New York state, but officials said this is a key preemptive measure.
“We want to make sure that folks have resilient infrastructure and that they’re able to support them, you know, protect those things that, so that these cyber threats don’t become cyber incidents,” president and CEO of the New York Environmental Facilities Corporation Maureen Coleman said.
Vermont takes similar steps to prevent these kinds of cyberattacks by partnering with organizations to work with individual communities on security standards for water systems — the threat of cybercrime is on the minds of many officials.
As of July, the FBI said seven states were impacted by attacks on water systems. Michigan, Minnesota, and South Dakota are among the states that have confirmed attacks with NBC News.
The federal government does not have a clear suspect, but experts have said Iran is a likely culprit based on previous attacks and current war tensions.
