The South Berwick Water District to date has avoided the cybersecurity breaches reported by water and sewer districts throughout Maine and the nation, according to Ryan Lynch, district superintendent.
“The district was not aware of any cyber breaches affecting operations,” Lynch wrote in an email Aug. 12 in response to an inquiry from the South Berwick Reporter.
Protecting the water system is a top priority, Lynch said. “Over the years, we have implemented multiple layers of cybersecurity measures to reduce risk in all operational areas.
“As with all utilities, cybersecurity remains an ongoing area of focus and vigilance. We regularly review our security practices and continue to evaluate opportunities for improvement as threats continue to evolve.”
The technology used to operate the wells is designed to minimize and protect internet exposure to the greatest extent that is practical, Lynch explained. Some of the technology includes firewalls and multifactor authentication.
“Much of our operational infrastructure relies on non-internet-based communications, which reduces potential pathways of cyber threats,” he added.
South Berwick Water District operators maintain the ability to manually operate critical water system functions, he noted, which helps ensure continuity of service if automated systems are disrupted.
Electronic systems failure can occur due to lightning strikes and power surges even with appropriate precautions in place such as lightning arrestors and power filters, according to Lynch.
“These events do happen everywhere, not just the water district, but these issues can typically be fixed quickly, often by the next day.”
