Opinion

If hackers cripple America's water, the consequences could be catastrophic

Iran, China and Russia are actively probing water utilities still reliant on aging industrial control systems

By Rep. Brian Babin Fox News

Published September 8, 2026 5:00am EDT

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White House unveils free cybersecurity program for states to protect water systems

Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin details a White House program offering free cybersecurity to defend public water systems on 'Special Report.'

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When Americans think about cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, they often picture pipelines, banks or the electric grid. But one of the most attractive targets for foreign adversaries flows through nearly every American home every day: our drinking water.

Few people stop to consider the consequences if a community’s water or wastewater system were disrupted. Yet these systems have quietly become prime targets for nation-state actors and cybercriminals seeking to undermine public confidence, disrupt essential services and probe America’s critical infrastructure.

These threats are no longer hypothetical.

FIRST ON FOX: TEXAS BECOMES TESTING GROUND FOR NEW DEFENSE AGAINST ATTACKS ON AMERICA’S WATER SYSTEMS

In January 2024, attackers infiltrated the water system in Muleshoe, a community in my home state of Texas, causing thousands of gallons of water to spill into city streets after manipulating the system’s industrial controls. Muleshoe was not an isolated incident.

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Just weeks ago, an Iran-linked........

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