2021-2022 MRWA Scholarship Recipients

Each academic year, the Missouri Rural Water Association Scholarship Committee awards four (4) college scholarships; two are awarded to graduating high school seniors and two are awarded to enrolled college students.

MRWA is proud to announce this year’s scholarship award winners.

High School Graduate Scholarship Recipients

Derek Johnson

High School Graduate – Sullivan High School Parent – David Johnson, Trade Specialist – Meramec State Park

Notable Accomplishments – Top 10 graduate; Principal’s Honor Roll; Academic All-Conference & All-State; FFA – Member; National Honor Society; Link Crew Student Leadership Program; Football Second-Team All-Conference

Liam Oberbeck-Kruzen

High School Graduate – Mansfield R-IV High School Parent – Tracy Davis, City Clerk – City of Mansfield

Notable Accomplishments – Top 10 graduate; Band – Section Leader, District Performance 1 Rating; Basketball 2 years; Baseball Manager 1 year; Science Club 3 years; FBLA 3 years; Sophomore Class Representative and Four-year Student Council Representative

John Winter

College – University of Missouri-Columbia Parent – Tammie Winter – General Manager, C-PWSD # 2 of Lafayette, Johnson, & Saline Co. Field of Study – Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Notable Accomplishments – National Honor Society, All-Semester Dean’s List, President’s Education Award – Outstanding Academic Excellence, University of Missouri Formula Society of Automotive Engineers Research and Design Team Member

Mallory Weiler

College – Missouri University of Science and Technology Parent – Ben Weiler, Manager - PWSD #1 Ste. Genevieve Field of Study – Chemical Engineering, minor in Engineering Management

Notable Accomplishments – 4.17 GPA HS Valedictorian; Christian Campus Fellowship – Member; Future Business Leaders of America/Phi Beta Lambda - Member; Zeta Tau Alpha - Member

Scholarship applications are available each year in early spring. You may visit our website at www.moruralwater.org for application.

Scott Smith

Mobile: (816) 518-7541 Office: (816) 331-3383 Email: ssmith@seilerinst.com www.seilergeo.com

Cybersecurity – Aren’t We Too Small To Worry About This?

Elizabeth Grove, MRWA Management Circuit Rider

Computer hacking, security breaches, and stolen data are all in the news a lot lately. We hear about it on a national scale, and it happens only to the “big” guys, right? Colonial Pipeline, Google, and JBS, are examples of huge companies that were hacked and had their data held for ransom. But could it happen to a small utility in rural Missouri? The answer is YES! And it has!

What can you do to protect yourself from possible hacking and protect your computer systems? We not only have to be aware of the threat to our office computers, but also to our SCADA systems and operational control systems. Any computer that is connected to the internet is a potential pathway for hacking, but any computer, whether connected to the internet or not, to which someone has access can also be a threat.

So, what are the three primary ways computers are hacked and how can you limit or lower your exposure? Nathan Grove, a software engineer in O’Fallon, Missouri provided MRWA with the following information:

Phishing/Social Engineering

How delivered: These types of hacks usually come in person, in phone calls, or in emails. Someone is falsely representing themselves as a reputable company to obtain sensitive information such as bank account information, social security numbers, passwords, etc.

How to Protect Against: For in person attempts, if you do not know the person, require identification from them, especially if someone shows up unexpectedly. For phone calls, do not accept UNKNOWN CALLER phone calls, or tell them you will call the company back later to discuss the business at hand. For emails, NEVER open a link in an email message or open an attachment unless the email is expected, and you are positive about the source of the link or attachment. If you are unsure about an email, try giving the sender a call to verify an email was sent.

Ransomware

How delivered: Ransomware is usually done via email or by downloading a virus while browsing the internet. Ransomware will encrypt all files and make them unavailable to the user. To release the files, the perpetrator will demand payment, usually in bitcoin or some other type of crypto currency.

Phishing attempt through phone text message. NEVER click a link in a text message from an unknown sender.

Third Party Software/Extensions/Apps

How Delivered: This type of threat is usually from “Free” apps, browser extensions or compromised software. The intent is to spy on the system, steal credit card numbers, passwords, video and audio from computers, etc. The information obtained can lead to blackmail, identity theft, etc.

How to Protect Against: Limit the number of browser extensions, phone apps, and desktop applications that you use. Only install these from well trusted sources. DO NOT assume that just because an app is in the Apple Store or the Play Store that it is a safe app!

These are just some of the more common types of threats in today’s cyber world that can affect anyone, including small municipalities and utilities in Missouri. Nathan Grove will be a speaker at the MRWA 2021 Office Professionals’ Seminar in October at the Lodge of the Four Seasons and will give a presentation with more details on this subject. You won’t want to miss it!!

Phishing attempt through email.