IFPTE Sounds the Alarm on Security Risks Related to Remote Operation of Army Corps Locks and Dams
This week IFPTE’s executive officers sent letters to Capitol Hill warning lawmakers that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) unilateral implementation of remote operations of critical infrastructure presents a severe cybersecurity threat.
The letters request House and Senate committees of jurisdiction urgently provide oversight as the USACE moves to implement remote offsite operations at critical lock and dam infrastructure, including at federal hydroelectric dams. The possibility of removing 24/7 USACE employees from these critical infrastructure sites and operating locks, dams, and hydroelectric plants remotely opens up severe security concerns.
The letters note that, “Whether it is a hostile state, a state-sponsored group, or a criminal organization that poses a cyber threat, moving federal critical infrastructure from responsive on-site operations and control to remote operations exposes the public, the economy, national security, and the infrastructure itself to risk.”
Read the full letter to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee here.