Riverhead receives nearly $300K to protect sewer system from cyberattacks

Riverhead received nearly $300,000 in state funding to protect its sewer system from cyberattacks as part of a broader $9 million doled out statewide, Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced Monday.

The town’s $278,285 award — almost a third of the nearly $1 million going to Suffolk County municipalities — will fund improvements to the Riverhead Sewer District’s IT infrastructure through the state’s SECURE program.

“We’re always happy to receive grant funding from the state of New York for the IT department,” Network and Systems Administrator Henry Kreymborg said. “This helps our constituents, and it helps town operations immensely.”

The grants are expected to help local governments meet the state’s new minimum cybersecurity standards for drinking-water and sewer systems. Those requirements include mandatory cybersecurity training for certified operators, reporting of cybersecurity incidents, safeguards for critical operations and sensitive information and the designation of a cybersecurity lead at larger drinking-water systems.

The funding can also be used for cybersecurity assessments and upgrades intended to identify vulnerabilities and better protect water and wastewater operations.

“We’re always looking for more grant opportunities and seeking funding for IT initiatives,” Mr. Kreymborg said.

More than $9 million was awarded to 153 local government projects through the Strengthening Essential Cybersecurity for Utilities and Resiliency Enhancements, or SECURE, program. Water infrastructure is considered an attractive target because of its importance to public health, economic stability and national security.

The funding comes amid heightened concern over attacks on water infrastructure. Cyberattacks beginning July 27 targeted water and wastewater systems in at least seven states, including more than 30 systems in Minnesota and nine in Michigan. Some operations were disrupted, although officials reported no threat to drinking-water safety.

“As we have seen with recent malicious cyberattacks on water systems across multiple states, these threats are real and escalating,”  Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a release Monday. “These investments give local governments the tools they need to strengthen their defenses, safeguard essential services, and keep delivering safe, reliable water to New Yorkers.”

The East End has already experienced the disruptions a cyberattack can cause. A November attack against Southold Town and forced Southold police to handwrite tickets and knocked its Laserfiche online records portal out of commission for nearly seven months.

A separate ransomware attack on North Ferry’s payment processor made online payments unavailable beginning Feb. 6, although ferries continued operating and pass holders were allowed to travel.