Cyberattack targets local water supply

A hacker on Friday took control of a computer system and tried to release dangerous levels of sodium hydroxide into the water supply in Oldsmar, Fla., law enforcement officials revealed. Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told Fox News that his department was working with the FBI and other government agencies to get to the bottom of the attack.

Did the hacker do any harm? A supervisor noticed the cursor on a computer screen tampering with settings for the chemical, and he immediately reversed the change. Officials warned other city leaders in the Tampa Bay region, which hosted the Super Bowl on Sunday. Experts say hackers can easily target municipal water and other systems.

Dig deeper: Read my report in The Sift about December hack attacks on critical U.S. agencies.