Hacker Attempts to Poison Water Supply of Entire Florida Town

A hacker attempted to poison an entire town’s water supply in Florida. The Oldsmar Plant provides water to businesses and about 15,000 residents and the computer system controlling it all was remotely accessed on Friday morning. A plant operator saw the attempt but assumed it was the work of a supervisor. A second attempt was then made in the early afternoon. This time the hacker gained access to the treatment software and significantly increased the sodium hydroxide, or lye, content. Lye, in small amounts, helps to control a water’s acidity. But consuming it in large amounts can cause major problems, including burns and other damage to the mouth, throat and stomach. It can also induce vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. These issues can sometimes become permanent. Fortunately an operator on duty immediately noticed the error and reduced the level to normal. As of now, no arrests have been made. Authorities aren’t even sure if the hack came from within the U.S. at this point.