critical infrastructure

EPA withdraws cyber audit requirement for water systems

The agency asserted that it still “remains committed” to helping states protect their water systems, despite legal challenges to its formal mandate.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

A potential federal shutdown is yet another thing for election officials to worry about

Chaos in Congress could leave local election officials without the resources they need for 2024.

  • By Carrie Levine, Votebeat

Feds plan new 'secure-by-design' guidance

The nation’s cyber defense agency is continuing to drive a major effort to shift security responsibilities from users to software providers.

  • By Chris Riotta

US water infrastructure ‘unsustainable’ amid rapidly evolving crisis, report warns

The United States is facing an unsustainable demand for water and lacks the security posture to defend the nation’s water systems from emerging threats, according to a new report.

  • By Chris Riotta

Regional partnerships can bring a refreshing solution to aging water infrastructure

When legacy water systems lack adequate data collection and monitoring capabilities, communities face an uphill battle delivering clean, safe water to residents.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

How well-managed dams and smart forecasting can limit flooding as extreme storms become more common in a warming world

COMMENTARY | As flood system operators juggle how to safely manage water levels during a flood, more accurate forecasting could make the process more efficient and effective.

  • By Riley Post, The Conversation

US power grid faces escalating cyber threats, infrastructure experts warn

The power grid is experiencing heightened threats from foreign adversaries and domestic extremist groups that can pose devastating consequences for the nation’s supply of electricity. 

  • By Chris Riotta

Budding U.S. offshore wind industry facing rough seas

States must overcome supply chain issues by exploring workforce development opportunities and other initiatives to meet state and federal targets for wind turbine installation.

  • By Robert Zullo, Maryland Matters

Federal money is coming to fix aging flood control systems – but plans all too often reflect historical patterns and not future risks

As communities replace aging infrastructure to prepare for future climate-driven storms, aging data stands in the way. Experts warn historical weather data may not be sufficient for new infrastructure decisions.

  • By Antonio Arenas Amado and Lu Liu, The Conversation

NSF jumpstarts regional innovation with $20M awards

The National Science Foundation will fund research in six states to advance energy-water systems, biomanufacturing, health care, wildfire management and artificial intelligence.

  • By Susan Miller

EVs rev up cybersecurity challenges

Without a meaningful way to secure and insure the electric-vehicle infrastructure, EV owners, charging stations and fleet managers are vulnerable to hackers.

  • By Chris Teale

Sewage surveillance spots respiratory viruses

Researchers identified RNA common to a number of respiratory viruses in local wastewater and found it lined up with clinical data on relative infection rates.

  • By Susan Miller
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Cyber Academy’s inaugural class to bolster city defenses

The 21 New York City employees will work with city cyber command offices and help build a local pipeline of cybersecurity workers.

  • By Chris Teale

We’re back! Our grand return to live events

GCN and Route Fifty will hit the road with a new free event series to explore how cities across the country are building their future today.

  • By GCN Staff

Florida city water cyber incident allegedly caused by employee error

Al Braithwaite, the former city manager of Oldsmar, Florida, said the 2021 episode was not caused by outside hackers but was instead a “non-event” sparked by user error.

  • By Chris Teale

What is the National Cybersecurity Strategy? A cybersecurity expert explains what it is and what the Biden administration has changed

The National Cybersecurity Strategy outlines a need for improved cyber hygiene through cyber insurance, data sharing and fostering technology research.

  • By Richard Forno, The Conversation

CISA launches pilot to spot ransomware vulnerabilities

By uncovering vulnerabilities associated with known exploits, CISA can warn critical infrastructure organizations so they can mitigate issues before a ransomware incident occurs.

  • By Susan Miller

National cyber strategy ‘promising’ for state, local governments

While some groups applauded the Biden administration’s pledge to prioritize cybersecurity and help small governments fight attacks, others said more technical assistance and federal funding is needed.

  • By Chris Teale

Building scalable, cost-effective application security

COMMENTARY | Automated scanning and remediation platforms can identify, fix and prevent security gaps and vulnerabilities at the software application and development levels.

  • By Mark Townsend

Earthquake data powered by next-gen supercomputers

A collaboration among national labs aims to provide an open-access website with datasets on how ground motion affects infrastructure during earthquakes.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Earthquake in Turkey exposes gap between seismic knowledge and action – but it is possible to prepare

Government leaders should leverage seismic data, communications technology and interagency collaboration to better respond to natural disasters.

  • By Louise K. Comfort, Burcak Basbug Erkan and Polat Gulkan, The Conversation