In modern warfare and national defense, physical conflicts are increasingly preceded by silent cyberattacks on vital resource networks. Most recently, cyber intrusions struck water and wastewater utilities across at least seven U.S. states, prompting federal investigations into potential Iranian involvement amidst heightened U.S.-Iran tensions.
While energy grids and IT networks dominate headlines, a Virginia Tech expert warns that water security is national security and critical supply chains remain dangerously vulnerable.
“From home drinking supply and food production to microchip manufacturing and cooling systems for data centers, water systems are an essential yet underprotected target,” said Feras Batarseh, associate professor of biological systems engineering.
As geopolitical conflicts spill into cyberspace and climate shifts strain global resources, experts warn that proactive defense is needed before a widespread crisis unfolds.
Batarseh saw those risks firsthand while conducting water and agricultural security research in Qatar through a Fulbright scholarship, where a regional conflict thrust his team’s work into a real-world crisis involving threats to critical infrastructure.
“On the ground, we’ve seen nearly every physical attack preceded by a cyberattack aimed at disrupting or disabling critical infrastructure, whether or not a rocket or a drone ever even makes contact,” Batarseh said.
He noted that agriculture is the fastest rising cybercrime target, as well as one of the least technologically fortified. “Large municipal water systems may be able to afford a cyber chief, but the same isn’t true for the many, many more smaller systems around the country,” he explained.
As places like data centers become prime targets in modern warfare, Batarseh said the potential for an attack on the water needed to cool them is a very real consideration here in data center-rich Virginia and across the country.
“A crucial aspect of cybersecurity planning is providing alternative operations and backups before a crisis hits. That means investing in structural systems to help protect our water and agricultural systems now, rather than reacting to an attack once it’s happened.”
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Feras Batarseh is an associate professor of biological systems engineering. His areas of focus include artificial intelligence assurance, intelligent water systems, cyberbiosecurity, and AI for agriculture policy. He and his team develop AI applications and assurance algorithms to address persisting water security and agricultural public policy challenges
Batarseh is available to discuss why agriculture and municipal water systems are fast becoming primary targets for cybercriminals and state-sponsored actors, and why smaller water utilities are dangerously unfortified. To schedule an interview, email mediarelations@vt.edu.
