A small-town hack, a big warning for U.S. security #short

Is Littleton a major supplier of some kind to the federal government?

We're not.

Major supplier to a military base?

No.

Nick Lawler is general manager of the Littleton, Massachusetts, electric and water utility. His town has 10,000 residents.

Can you think of any reason that China would target your little community?

That's the exact question I had for the FBI when they visited me on that first day And I still can't answer that question. No, I can't think of one reason

The FBI visited in November 2023 to tell Lawler that China had access to his Utilities computer network. He says the feds told him he was one of 200.

How much of all of this is controlled remotely by computer?

All of it.

In his water treatment plant, Lawler showed us tanks of dangerous chemicals that are precisely controlled to deliver clean water. If you had control of these tanks, you've got control of Littleton, Massachusetts.

You can poison the water.

You can poison the water.

But China was caught before it had operational control. With Lawler's permission, the Feds watched what China was doing, and what they learned was part of an awakening for American security. If you are willing to go after a small water provider in Littleton, Massachusetts, what other target is off the list? So from that perspective, this is a national threat.

It's one that needs to be addressed, but it's also one that every American should understand. Because if they're willing to go after that small provider that doesn't have a national security go after that small provider that doesn't have a national security connection, that means every target is on the list.