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OLDSMAR, Fla. — An Oldsmar city computer reportedly visited a website hosting malicious code that targeted water utilities in the hours leading up to the city’s water treatment plan being hacked, a new report from the security firm Dragos said.

The Oldsmar water hack saw someone try to poison the water supply with lye, but it was discovered before any damage could be done. While the website ultimately didn’t play a role in the hack of the water supply system in Oldsmar, Dragos said the overall incident shined a light on IT security in the infrastructure in the United States.

The report, released Tuesday, found the website hosting the code was a Florida water utility contractor site. Dragos labeled the attack as a “watering hole attack.” According to the Computer Security Resource Center, a watering hole attack features an attacker “compromising a site likely to be visited by a particular group, rather than attacking the target group directly.”

In the case of the Oldsmar attack, Dragos found damaging code “inserted into the footer of a WordPress-based site associated with a Florida water infrastructure constructions company.” Dragos speculated the code was inserted through vulnerable WordPress plugins. Once the code was inserted into the legitimate site, the attackers began collecting information.

According to the Dragos report, the hack of the site started on December 20, 2020, and was on there until February 16, 2021. While the malicious code was live, the site interacted with “computers from municipal water utility customers, state and local government agencies, various water industry-related private companies, and normal internet bot and website crawler traffic.” Dragos said that over “1,000 end-user computers were profiled by the code” with most being in the U.S. and in the state of Florida.

For the Oldsmar attack, Dragos found a computer on a network belonging to the city went to the infected site at 9:49 a.m. on February 5, 2021. Dragos said the same network from the city was where an unknown actor, likely separate from the criminals who put the malicious code on the website, “reportedly compromised a water treatment control plant computer on the morning of February 5th and attempted to poison the water supply…”

As Dragos investigated, it was able to determine the malicious was able to gather more than 100 pieces of data about the visitors including: operating system and CPU, browser-type, touchpoints, input methods, presence of camera, microphone, video card display adapter details, video codecs, and more. The code led Dragos to a “Dark Market” online, but also exposed what Dragos felt was the true nature of the malicious code.

“Dragos’ best assessment is that an actor deployed the watering hole on the water infrastructure construction company site to collect legitimate browser data for the purpose of improving the botnet malware’s ability to impersonate legitimate web browser activity,” Dragos’ report found.

“We have medium confidence it (malicious code) did not directly compromise any organization,” the report said. “But it does represent an exposure risk to the water industry and highlights the importance of controlling access to untrusted websites, especially for Operational Technology (OT) and Industrial Control System (ICS) environments.”

The criminals who accessed the Oldsmar site did so due to lax security and shared passwords.. Specifically, the FBI said, “the cyber actors likely accessed the system by exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses including poor password security, and an outdated Windows 7 operating system to compromise software used to remotely manage water treatment. The actor also likely used the desktop sharing software TeamViewer to gain unauthorized access to the system.”

Experts say some small cities, both Florida and nationally — as well as their utilities — lack proper cybersecurity.

A year after a cyberattack on the city of Oldsmar’s water system last year, experts are reflecting on the state of security for utilities around Florida.

The cyber breach of the water treatment plant, which took place on Feb. 5, 2021, raised concerns, as a hacker tried to poison the city’s water supply by increasing sodium hydroxide levels.

The next month, the head of Florida’s Department of Law Enforcement said that the water plant’s security was “extremely lax.”

Rick Swearingen said that a lack of security features such as two factor authorization and stronger firewalls made the water system’s technology vulnerable to attack.

A year later, many experts still feel the same way.

In an email, Tufts University computer security professor Ming Chow said he has “no confidence that utilities are doing anything to protect themselves.”

Among the problems he mentioned are weak passwords, and web infrastructure that continues to be used despite having problems “year after year.”

An additional shortcoming for utilities, according to another expert, is the size of the cybersecurity workforce.

“The cybersecurity industry is suffering from a talent deficit. There is a huge talent gap between supply and demand,” said Ron Sanders, staff director for the Florida Center for Cybersecurity.

Sanders added that these smaller cities and counties have a more difficult time competing for skilled cybersecurity workers. On top of that, employees at smaller water treatment plants and similar utilities simply don’t know cybersecurity best practices.

Some of these “cyber hygiene” practices include stronger passwords, identity management, and multiple factor authorization.

Sanders also highlighted a new initiative from the White House to combat these issues. In a Jan. 27 announcement, the administration said the Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Cybersecurity Initiative will be extended to the water sector.

This involves developing and encouraging technologies that will help “monitor their systems and provide near real-time situational awareness and warnings.”

Sanders feels that the “silver lining” behind the Oldsmar water hack was the national spotlight it put on water treatment facilities and their computer security. He feels that a national plan like the ICS Initiative is a step in the right direction.

“That's one of the things that the government can and will do is identify and distribute those best practices and provide technical assistance to jurisdictions so that they can adopt and adapt those best practices to their own local circumstances,” he said.

Creating uniform government or cyber insurance requirements with some of these best practices, Sanders added, would also bolster the security of these utilities.

In addition, “cyber pooling,” or putting skilled cybersecurity workers in charge of multiple jurisdictions and pooling jurisdictions’ resources to finance it, is another option.

But the good news from all of this, according to Sanders is that “so many of these attacks can be easily thwarted.”

He said that with proper “cyber hygiene” practices, such as taking extra care when clicking on links, watching out for phishing attacks, and keeping password information secure, can help prevent almost 80% of attacks.

The staffing agency recently expanded operations, making further investments in the Oldsmar community

Vice-Mayor Jarrod Buchman Presenting the Award

OLDSMAR, Florida, May 10, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For Sunbelt, connecting clients and professionals to their next steps in their healthcare and education career journeys isn’t something they take lightly. The team is passionate about their work, embracing the role they play in empowering others to achieve the highest visions and goals they have for themselves. That passion has now earned the staffing company recognition from the City of Oldsmar as the Business of the Quarter, lauding the organization for the work it does in enhancing life, work, and play in the small Florida community.

Oldsmar Vice-Mayor Jarrod Buchman presented the Business of the Quarter award to Sunbelt during a city council meeting on April 19. Buchman noted Sunbelt's office expansion and continuous employment of great corporate citizens were the primary reasons for being selected for the award.

Sunbelt recently expanded their Oldsmar headquarters from a 16,000 sq ft space to a 35,000 sq ft space located at 501 Brooker Creek Blvd. The expansion will allow Sunbelt to add 100 additional team members to the Oldsmar office.

“On behalf of the entire Sunbelt team, I’d like to thank the City of Oldsmar for recognizing us with the Business of the Quarter award,” said Ken Kistner, Vice President of Sunbelt. “We strive to enhance the lives of our neighbors, friends, and colleagues in and around Oldsmar and nationwide, helping to connect them to opportunities to pursue their educational and employment goals. Being named the Business of the Quarter a second time is a great honor and demonstrates our passions are in the right place as we strive to be continuously involved in our community and dedicated to improving it."

To apply for positions in the newly expanded Sunbelt offices, visit sunbeltstaffing.com/about/careers. To learn more about the staffing company, visit sunbeltstaffing.com.

Sunbelt, headquartered in Oldsmar, FL, is a healthcare and educational staffing company connecting professionals to healthcare facilities and schools nationwide for 30 years. Sunbelt has been awarded the Business of Quarter in 2015 and 2022 by the City of Oldsmar as well as the Large Business of the Year in 2013 and 2019 by the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce. To learn more about Sunbelt, please visit .

OLDSMAR — The four candidates vying for two open Oldsmar City Council seats on March 15 faced each other for the first time during a candidates’ forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Pinellas County and the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 27.

The event was nearly canceled due to COVID and other concerns, forcing organizers to switch to a virtual session hosted by last-minute replacement former Clearwater City Council member Bill Jonson. Each candidate — Doug Bevis and Jarrod Buchman for Seat 2 and incumbent Eric Seidel and challenger Dan Saracki for mayor — expounded on key campaign issues, namely the downtown development project.

The question of whether the council should allow a bonus density increase that could pave the way for a mixed-use residential and retail complex on a 10-acre lot next to City Hall has become the hot button issue of this campaign season, and none of the contenders shied away from the subject when asked.

“Let me clarify something — we’re not changing the density from 30 to 65 (units per acre),” Seidel said. “What we’re doing is creating an incentive.”

Seidel, who is seeking a second term after promising to get the long-gestating downtown revitalization project off the ground during his first campaign, argued that by having the incentive in place the city could control the makeup of the development, as current zoning allows for five-story parking garages and six-story structures featuring apartment and office space.

“What we’re saying is that we want to create an incentive that we go to the developer and say, ‘Listen, we don’t want all that office space,” he explained. ‘“What we’d rather have is more residential space and if you’ll build it this way, retail on the bottom and go up, we’ll grant you that opportunity.’”

Saracki, the current Seat 2 holder who was first elected in 2015, made it clear he is vehemently opposed to the proposed density bonus.

“As the mayor just said, we are zoned currently right now for six stories and 150 apartments,” he said. “They want to change the density so they can build over 317 apartments on the property right next door here to City Hall. That. Is. Disastrous.”

Saracki said the group of residents opposed to the proposed increase “want to keep our hometown feel here in Oldsmar. We don’t need to increase the density. We can build a downtown that the people will love … without increasing the density. I am totally against the increase of the density.”

Bevis, a former mayor and council member who worked to develop the downtown during his tenure, noted in his opening remarks that while he’s in support of the downtown development, “lately it has sucked a lot of the oxygen out of the room,” adding there are a lot of options for the property. “I hope we get to talk more about it and specifically the density increase,” he said.

Meanwhile, Buchman, a political newcomer who has served on several civic boards, said he’s in favor of a walkable downtown, though, like Saracki, he is adamantly opposed to the density increase.

“As most people know, I’ve taken a strong issue against the proposed density increase,” Buchman said, adding he’ll “continue to maintain that position until I see something that makes sense to me. But I don’t think the process has been given the proper vetting.”

Indeed, on the equally divisive subject of allowing more resident input on major projects in the form of town hall meetings, the opponents once again stood on opposite sides of the issue, with Saracki and Buchman voicing support for additional public forums while Seidel and Bevis said there are plenty of opportunities to speak on important issues during the regular council meetings and other workshops.

“Whether you call it a public hearing or whether you call it a town hall meeting, the formats are the same,” Seidel said. “Everyone has an opportunity to speak.”

Due to the similar formats, however, Seidel proposed having “show and tell” sessions between officials and residents. “But we need to have something in front of us that we can show and tell about,” he said.

Jonson also asked the candidates questions related to sea level rise, infrastructure, transportation, and goals should they be elected; when he asked how Oldsmar can maintain its small-town feel, Bevis had a reply that seemed to strike at the heart of the development/density issue.

“I’m not sure we are a small town,” Bevis said. “We’re not a Waldo, Florida. That’s a small town. We have a small-town feel and we never, ever forget that. But we have some modern, great things, like the reverse osmosis plant. So, we’re not really a small town. We’re a vibrant, live energetic town, but not necessarily a small town. We’re a transit corridor that has more cars going up and down Tampa Road than you have going over the Courtney Campbell Causeway. That doesn’t really happen in a small town.”

To view the entire forum presented by the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, visit the city’s website at myoldsmar.com or www.youtube.com/watch?v=WanAac2IGp4.

Several counties are hosting sandbag fill up locations ahead of Hurricane Ian.

Hillsborough County Sandbag Locations Will End Operations on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. Hillsborough County, Fla. (Sept. 26, 2022) – Hillsborough County sandbag locations will end operations on Tuesday, Sept. 27, at 2 p.m. due to the imminent approach of Hurricane Ian. The following locations will be open from 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 27, with intermittent closures due to weather conditions:

Hillsborough County residents are eligible for a maximum of 10 sandbags per family. Residents must show ID verifying they live in the county, and a driver’s license or utility bill will serve as proper identification. Residents should expect long lines at sandbag locations.

The City of Tampa is activating three sandbag distribution sites beginning Sunday.

The sites below will be open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM until Tuesday.

Himes Avenue Complex

Al Barnes Park

2902 N. 32nd Street, Tampa, FL 33605

MacFarlane Park

Site between Maxwell and Renfrew

The City of Tampa will have bags, sand and shovels available. There will also be volunteers available to help those who cannot fill their own sandbags.

Tampa residents interested in receiving sandbags must show identification verifying residence within the city limits. A valid driver's license, utility bill or electric bill will serve as appropriate identification. There is a ten bag limit.

In addition, the City of Tampa requests that residents with a storm drain on their property check to ensure that the drain is clear of all debris including leaves and trash.

Hillsborough County is making sandbags available again on Monday, Sept. 26 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at these locations:

Hillsborough County residents are eligible for a maximum of 10 sandbags per vehicle. Residents must show ID verifying they live in the County; a driver’s license or utility bill will serve as proper identification.

A limited supply of sand and sandbags will be available Sunday, September 25, 2022 at 12pm at the following locations. This self-serve sandbag site. Please bring your own shovel.

Free sand and sandbags are available to Pasco County residents at the following locations during certain weather events:

Remember to bring your shovel! Pasco sandbag locations are self-service.

Please monitor your local news or radio for information and instructions on evacuation routes and shelter locations if needed. The Pasco County website will also remain updated at all times.

Sandbags are available to Pinellas County residents at the following locations:

Sandbag distribution locations open Sunday and Monday, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. or as supplies last:

John Chesnut Sr. Park: 2200 East Lake Road in Palm Harbor

Walsingham Park: 12615 102nd Ave, Seminole

Lealman Exchange, 5175 45th St N, St. Petersburg

Sandbag site locations are:

A maximum of 10 sandbags will be provided to each household to help prevent water intrusion into the home.

Manatee County Public Works Department is making sandbags available at the following self-serve locations beginning Saturday, Sept. 24:

Pallets of pre-made bags will also be available at the following locations Saturday, Sept. 24:

On Sunday, Sept. 25, additional full-service sandbag distribution will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the following locations:

In preparation for Tropical Storm Ian, two county sandbag sites will be opened on Monday, September 26, at 8:00 a.m. The county will announce additional times and dates as needed:

Sarasota County sandbag operations will take place at:

Shovels and bags will be available on site, limit 10 sandbags per vehicle. Sandbag operations are also planned for Monday, Sept. 26 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Be aware that changes in weather pattern could impact sandbag operation times.

In Venice, the city Public Works Department will have a self-filling station from noon to 6 p.m. at Wellfield Park off Pinebrook Road.

These are self-filling stations. There is a limit of 10 sandbags per household while supplies last.

Shovels will be provided. City staff will be on hand.

Residents are encouraged to bring their own bags in case the city’s supply run out, as well as their own shovels to expedite the process.