Florida water hack underscores cybersecurity threat to utilities

Just days before Super Bowl LV kicked off in Tampa Bay, a water system in nearby Oldsmar, Florida, was the target of a cyber attack, renewing concerns around a major vulnerability for water utilities.

The hack briefly multiplied the amount of sodium hydroxide, or lye, used in the city’s water treatment, by a factor of more than 100. Lye is an ingredient used in drain cleaners that is also used to control water acidity and remove metals from drinking water.