The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power appears to be in hot water right now.
And in part, it may be linked to the utility's cybersecurity and compliance practices.
FBI raids L.A.'s Department of Water and Power
People in L.A. call it the "DWP" (Department of Water and Power), and it is a key part of survival in southern California's hot and dry climate.
The utility has more than 9,000 employees and an annual budget of $1.69 billion to get water to Los Angeles residents from places like northern California and the Colorado River.
In July 2019, the FBI raided DWP offices (and others), with a warrant that indicated it was looking for evidence of possible bribery, kickback, and money laundering schemes, among other things.
LA Times reveals: cybersecurity and compliance part of DWP investigation
Now, the LA Times reports it has had a chance to read more of the lengthy FBI search warrant in the case, and it includes cybersecurity and compliance angles.
According to The Times:
"Investigators wanted information about cybersecurity and physical security issues at the DWP dating back to June 2008, according to portions reviewed this week by the Los Angeles Times. They also wanted to know about the DWP's compliance with industry security standards and any destruction or manipulation of compliance records."
Destruction or manipulation of compliance records? That sounds serious. And apparently it is only part of what the FBI was after when it comes to security:
"The warrant passages newly reviewed by The Times show investigators wanted to know about security reviews performed for the DWP by Aventador, Ardent and other firms. They also sought security presentations to DWP employees or the Los Angeles City Council dating back to 2008."
We won't be surprised if security leaders are talking about unique cases like this and the Activated Insider Threats at AT&T Wireless at SecureWorld conferences this fall.
And we'll let you know if there are more cybersecurity or compliance related developments in the Department of Water and Power investigation.
