Tórshavn water supply manager says service is secure

The head of Tórshavn Municipality’s water service says he is not worried about the city’s water supply, despite warnings of an increased risk of hybrid attacks, KVF reports.

The water plant’s controls are connected to the internet, meaning a hacker could potentially shut them down. Water supply is considered critical infrastructure.

The Danish Defence Intelligence Service has warned of a risk that Russia will increase the number of hybrid attacks in the coming period. Danske Vandværker, an association of Danish waterworks, says 12 per cent of waterworks in Denmark have been attacked by hackers.

Bjørn Holm, who heads the water service in Tórshavn Municipality, said it would take a lot for hackers to gain access. The municipality focuses on IT security, with staff dedicated to improving it, he said.

If hackers did gain access to the control system, the municipality could disconnect the controls and run the plant manually. Another option would be to disconnect it from the internet and operate the controls within the water plant.