Texas pilots initiative to protect water systems from foreign adversaries: Report

Texas will be working with the Trump administration on a new six-month pilot program to protect the state’s water systems from foreign adversaries following recent cyberattacks.The purpose of the pilot initiative is to see whether other states can secure their water facilities with the federal government’s help. The Lone Star State will be the first state to implement this program. “There is nothing more important to Texans than clean, reliable drinking water,” Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) told the news outlet. “Project Watershed 250 puts federal, state, and private-sector cyber defenses behind our utilities at no cost. The White House, the Texas Cyber Command, and industry now work from the same playbook.”The program’s official announcement has not been made yet.The White House is planning to unveil Project Watershed 250 this week as a “proof of concept” that will begin in Texas and potentially expand to more states, according to Politico.News of cyberattacks surfaced in the last month as more than 30 municipal water and wastewater facilities in Minnesota were targeted in a coordinated hacking campaign. Though the Trump administration did not blame any specific foreign nation or actor, officials believe Iran was behind the cyberattack.The United States remains at war with Iran. The U.S. military resumed airstrikes for the first time in weeks on Sunday, prompting Tehran to retaliate against U.S. bases in the region.CHINESE HACKERS TARGETED NASA, SENATE, FEDERAL RESERVE, AND OTHERS, JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYSA White House official said Project Watershed 250 was not created in response to the recent cyberattacks involving Minnesota, according to Fox News.“However, these recent attacks have reiterated the need for this modernization and focus on water systems,” the official said. “Critical Infrastructure protection has long been a priority for [the Office of the National Cyber Director] and President Trump and this effort has been in the works since last year.”