Rambler Gallo, a 53-year-old man from Tracy, has been sentenced to six months of home confinement for his involvement in orchestrating a cyber attack on the Discovery Bay Water Treatment Facility in 2021. Gallo, who was previously employed by a Massachusetts-based company contracted with the facility, took advantage of his position to install software on both his personal computer and the company’s internal network. This software granted him remote access to the plant’s computer system, allowing him to execute his malicious actions.
Following his resignation from the company on November 25, 2020, Gallo proceeded to access the water treatment plant’s computer system approximately five weeks later. During this unauthorized access, he sent a command that resulted in the uninstallation of crucial software responsible for protecting various aspects of the water treatment system, including pressure, filtration, and chemical levels. This deliberate act posed a significant threat to the health and safety of the community by potentially compromising the integrity of the water supply.
Federal prosecutors emphasized the severity of Gallo’s actions, describing them as “well thought out to be as disruptive as possible.” They highlighted the potential ramifications of his cyber attack, emphasizing that it posed a significant threat to the health and safety of the community’s water supply. Gallo’s sentencing serves as a reminder of the serious consequences associated with cyber attacks on critical infrastructure and underscores the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to safeguard essential services.
