De León seeks reports on LA’s measures against Russian cyber attacks on infrastructure

The Los Angeles City Council will consider having city departments report on measures against potential cyber attacks from Russia on the city’s water distribution, power and sewage systems following a motion introduced Wednesday by Councilman Kevin de León.

“Russia’s attack against Ukraine has raised the stakes for potential attacks on the United States as international economic pressures mount against Russia,” de León said. “The U.S. already faces regular cyber attacks emanating from Russia against public and private targets such as hospitals, utility companies, and government bodies. We need to ensure that Los Angeles is ready for any potential attack that would target and disrupt our infrastructure.”

De León cited Los Angeles’ position as the second-largest U.S. city and as a strategic gateway that connects the U.S. to the Pacific Rim. Attacking the city’s public infrastructure could destabilize the global economy, which is already recovering from the pandemic, according to the councilman’s office.

His motion, if approved by the council, would have the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Bureau of Sanitation and other top departments report on safety measures against attacks on water distribution, power and sewage systems.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned in January, even before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, that the United States could face cyber attacks from Russia amid escalating tension.

“Russia maintains a range of offensive cyber tools that it could employ against US networks — from low-level denials-of-service to destructive attacks targeting critical infrastructure,” the DHS said in a Jan. 23 memo to state and local governments, according to CNN.

De León’s office on Wednesday warned that an attack on U.S. electrical grids could create a massive impact on public health and safety.

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