FBI warns cyberattacks are hitting water utilities in 7 states

In short: The FBI says cyberattacks have spread beyond Minnesota and are now hitting water and wastewater utilities in at least seven US states.

What happened

WIRED reports that federal agencies are responding to a wave of cyberattacks aimed at water and wastewater utilities. Earlier reports focused on Minnesota, where more than 30 utilities were hit in a short period.

This week, the FBI issued an alert saying the attacks have affected utilities in at least seven states. The FBI did not name the states or describe the full impact. It said it is working with the Environmental Protection Agency to help affected utilities.

Another federal agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said some attacks disabled digital controls and led to “boil-water notices.” That kind of notice is issued when a community is told to boil tap water before drinking it, which can happen when there is a risk of contamination.

The FBI urged utilities to protect “programmable logic controllers,” or PLCs. These are small computers that help run physical equipment, like pumps and valves (think of them as the switchboards that tell machines what to do). The bureau said utilities should remove these devices from direct internet access when possible, use strong passwords, and set up “allow-lists,” meaning only approved devices can connect.

US officials have previously pointed to Iranian-linked hackers as a leading suspect, according to WIRED. A leaked memo obtained by WIRED tied Minnesota-related attacks to Iran.

Why it matters

Water systems are part of everyday life. When attackers disrupt the controls that run them, it can mean service interruptions, safety warnings, and added costs for local communities.

Source: Wired