General Security and Resilience

In an interview with the Associated Press, FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New Orleans Field Office Eric Rommal discusses the threats malicious actors could pose to industries that are dependent on the Mississippi River. He described scenarios in which actors exploit commercial ships or oil or gas refineries and pipelines to cause harm. Speaking of potential impacts to the area resulting from these scenarios, Special Agent Rommal noted drinking water utilities’ dependence on the Mississippi River for their raw water supplies.

The final article in a three-part series examining the Hostile Events Attack Cycle discusses the phases of pre-attack operations, the attack itself, and escape. The article explains that the pre-attack operations phase, when the attacker could be doing such things as conducting rehearsals and taking actions at the target site, represents the last opportunity to disrupt the operation. As with the previous articles, the current installment cites examples from real-world incidents to help explain the phases.

Brett Zupan, former WaterISAC analyst, penned an expository regarding the myriad of all-hazards threats, including physical, cyber, and blended, faced by members of peer organization, REN-ISAC (Research & Education Networking Information Sharing & Analysis Center). Zupan explains the spectrum of physical and cyber threats, including sophisticated, unsophisticated, and accidental, that conceivably could affect every critical infrastructure sector - some more than others - including Water and Wastewater.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP) has published the latest version of its Partnership Bulletin, which provides a snapshot of upcoming training and exercise opportunities, critical infrastructure events, and key announcements. Some of the upcoming events include: