What Happens if China Hacks the US Water Supply? I Went to a Secret War Game to Find Out

A secret war game tested the fallout from a major cyberattack on U.S. water utilities.

The scenario showed outages spreading from water systems to food production, manufacturing, cloud services, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure.

Participants also debated how insurers should respond, including whether the attack should be treated as an act of war and excluded from coverage.

The exercise underscored how a water-system cyberattack could trigger broad security, public health, and economic damage.