US investigating if Iran was behind cyberattack on water systems in seven states
13 hours ago
- The U.S. is investigating whether Iran was behind a cyberattack on water systems in at least seven states, including Minnesota, forcing some utilities to switch to manual operations.
- Investigators are probing the possibility of Iranian hackers, but the attribution is not definitive and could change with more evidence; they are also considering if the attack was staged to appear Iranian amid U.S.-Iran conflict.
- President Trump dismissed Iran's involvement, blaming Minnesota and Governor Tim Walz, who responded by criticizing the Trump administration's cuts to cybersecurity agencies.
- The FBI reported incidents in at least seven states but did not name them; over 30 community water systems in Minnesota were affected, though no water supply was compromised.
- Federal agencies warned of increased targeting of programmable logic controllers (PLCs) at water utilities and urged removing them from internet exposure.
- Iran-linked hackers have used similar tactics before, exploiting default passwords on internet-connected controllers in 2023.
- Incidents in South St. Paul, Braham, and Plymouth, Minnesota, involved PLCs at water towers and sewer lift stations, but water quality and delivery were not affected, and manual operations were quickly implemented.