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After regional breaches, Tipton vendor says upgrades have strengthened utility cybersecurity
Summary
Following cybersecurity incidents elsewhere, Tipton's vendor told the board recent upgrades — including connecting the West plant to fiber and routing remote stations through a VPN — have improved protections though no system is invulnerable.
Board staff reported follow-up with a third-party IT vendor after recent cybersecurity breaches in neighboring states. Jim said the vendor—onfirmed Tipton's upgrades put the system in a better posture: "After the upgrades we made, especially hooking the West plant to fiber optic, the other plants here in town are hooked connected to fiber, and then we put some devices on some of the remote lift stations ... so to speak. The response was, yes. After the upgrades we made ... we're in a good place."
Consultant Matt Smith added that utilities that actively manage and update their systems have generally avoided the types of vulnerabilities seen in the Minnesota incidents, but advised continued vigilance and follow-up with vendor recommendations.
