FBI Probing Whether Water System Cyberattacks in Michigan and Seven Other States Are Being Conducted by Iranian Hackers, or Being Staged to Look Like They Are

Federal investigators are investigating a wave of cyberattacks on municipal water systems in multiple states after Michigan confirmed it had joined Minnesota in detecting intrusions consistent with activity linked to Iranian hackers.

Officials say the attacks targeted operational technology controlling drinking water treatment and distribution, forcing some utilities to switch to manual operations, though no contamination of drinking water or public health threats have been reported.

CBS News reports:

Investigators are probing to determine whether the activity is the work of Iranian hackers, according to U.S. officials and sources familiar with the incident. Sources cautioned that since they had not definitively attributed the attack, their assessment could change as additional technical evidence is collected. They are also probing whether the actor could have attempted to appear Iran-based as a way of stirring the pot amid the ongoing U.S. conflict with Iran.

The FBI reported incidents in “at least seven states” but didn’t identify them. On Saturday, Michigan joined Minnesota in reporting cyberattacks on the state’s water systems but an official said all systems were operating “safely.”

In Minnesota, more than 30 municipal water utilities were affected, while Michigan officials described a smaller number of reports, around nine systems, showing malicious activity that matched federal warnings.

The FBI, along with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has been fully engaged, and intelligence assessments point to Iran as a likely suspect based on a longstanding pattern of targeting American water and wastewater infrastructure.

One of the more serious incidents occurred in the small Minnesota city of Braham, where attackers succeeded in shutting down controls for a well and the water treatment plant, leaving roughly 1,700 residents temporarily dependent on stored water in the city’s tower.

Local crews isolated the compromised system, restored a backup, and brought the plant back online within about 90 minutes.

Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy stated that all affected systems continued to operate safely after local operators addressed the issues, with communications director Dale George emphasizing there were “no known impacts that posed a public health concern,” in a statement obtained by CBS.

Signs of the hacking campaign have been detected in at least seven states, according to reports, and they follow a joint advisory from the FBI, CISA, and partner agencies warning of Iranian actors targeting the water sector.

Unfortunately, locally managed utilities often lack the resources and specialized expertise to defend against sophisticated state-sponsored cyber operations.

A wire from Nerve News notes, “The incidents expose a persistent national security liability: locally managed public utilities that lack the budget and technical expertise to defend against state-sponsored cyber warfare. While the federal government spends billions on foreign military engagements, American towns remain reliant on water treatment facilities where a single breach can take a plant offline.”

As of Sunday, authorities are urging water utilities nationwide to harden their systems while the investigation continues.

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