Vermont's Cavendish and Proctorsville water treatment facilities, run by just two men, face a growing threat of cyberattacks. Recent incidents in Pennsylvania and Texas highlight the increasing frequency and severity of such attacks targeting US water systems. To combat this, the towns are participating in Project Franklin, a pilot program pairing critical infrastructure operators with cybersecurity volunteers. The program aims to educate operators on digital security and provide tools to protect against sophisticated attacks, addressing vulnerabilities exacerbated by aging systems and limited resources. The threat is global, with actors like Volt Typhoon (China) and Russian hackers actively targeting critical infrastructure worldwide.

Prepared by Jonathan Pierce and reviewed by editorial team.