According to CBS News, at least 12 states in the country reported cyberattacks against drinking water and wastewater systems. Sources consulted by the television station indicated that federal investigators suspect that the attacks could be related to hackers backed by Iran, although so far there is no official attribution.
Affected states include Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey and South Dakota. In Minnesota, more than 30 community drinking water systems reported incidents, CBS News reported.
The attackers gained remote access to equipment that controls pumps, valves and water pressure. Some utilities lost the ability to operate those systems remotely, so their operators used manual controls, according to the US network.
Authorities stated that the attacks did not compromise the quality of drinking water. However, some facilities recorded temporary operational failures and loss of monitoring functions.
One of the cases occurred in Georgia. The Clayton County Water Authority, which serves about 300,000 customers in the Atlanta metropolitan area, said a cyber incident last month reduced system pressure and forced it to issue a boil water notice. The service was restored hours later.
On July 30, the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint alert. The agencies reported that cybercriminals remotely entered drinking water and wastewater systems in at least seven states, resulting in the loss of monitoring and control capabilities.
The agencies recommended operators disconnect exposed industrial systems from the Internet, strengthen passwords, update firewalls and limit remote access to critical equipment.
CBS News noted that investigators compared the tactics used to those of the CyberAv3ngers group, linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. In 2023, that group breached industrial water system controllers in the United States by using default passwords. However, federal authorities have not yet formally held that group responsible for the recent attacks.
Cybersecurity specialists warned that many municipal water systems use aging infrastructure and have limited resources to protect their industrial networks. This situation has made the sector a frequent target of groups sponsored by foreign governments, according to different agencies.
