(The Center Square) – Pennsylvania lawmakers focused this week on protecting municipal governments from cyberattacks that threaten communities statewide.
The joint hearing, hosted by the Senate Communications and Technology and Local Government committees, follows an attack that compromised Bucks County’s emergency dispatch system last month and a wider national attack in December affecting the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa.
The attack affecting Aliquippa was committed by Iran-backed hackers targeting Israeli-made technology in retaliation for Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza strip, highlighting the deeply interconnected nature of cybersecurity.
Aside from newsworthy attacks like Bucks County and Aliquippa, security systems are subject to a constant barrage of potential threats from attacks intended to steal money and information and to create havoc within systems.
“Municipal authorities are not unlike any other businesses or governmental agencies subject to attack,” said John Berti, IT and telecom manager for the Wyoming Valley Sanitary Authority. “Simply put … it’s not a matter of if, but when.”