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FBI investigates as MI joins MN in reporting cyberattacks on its water systems
2 months ago
- Michigan joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on water systems, with nine systems in Michigan impacted but operating safely.
- The FBI is investigating the attacks, which occurred amid warnings that Iranian hackers have been targeting U.S. water and wastewater systems.
- Many local water plants lack funds and expertise for cybersecurity, making them vulnerable targets for digital warfare.
- In Minnesota, over 30 water systems were targeted, with some communities experiencing temporary service disruptions like water plant outages.
CISA Alert: Water Sector PLC Targeting
2 months ago
- CISA warned on July 30, 2026 that threat actors increasingly target internet-exposed PLCs in water and wastewater systems, locking out operators by changing passwords and IP addresses.
- CISA named Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley, Siemens, and Schneider Electric as affected vendors, and flagged cellular modems as a common blind spot in attack-surface scans.
- Censys found 4,148 exposed Rockwell/Allen-Bradley EtherNet/IP hosts (71% in the US), 4,117 Siemens SIMATIC S7-1200 hosts (86% in southern/central Europe), and 2,072 Schneider Electric hosts (55.5% in Turkey and Australia).
- CISA recommends disconnecting PLCs from the internet, enabling password protection, changing default passwords, and using allowlists for remote access.
US investigating if Iran was behind cyberattack on water systems in seven states
2 months 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.

water infrastructure

FBI investigates as MI joins MN in reporting cyberattacks on its water systems

CISA Alert: Water Sector PLC Targeting

US investigating if Iran was behind cyberattack on water systems in seven states