U.S. Department of Homeland Security issues warning regarding potential cyber threats to water networks

Washington, July 30 (KUNA) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning on Thursday regarding potential cyber threats to water networks in the United States, following cyberattacks on 30 water treatment plants in Minnesota. In a warning advisory, the department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) noted a “notable increase in cyber threat attacks targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs) in the water and wastewater sector.” It urged owners and operators of critical infrastructure to “remove programmable logic controllers and other operational technologies exposed to the internet as quickly as possible.” The agency highlighted that attackers targeting exposed PLCs “have modified passwords to lock out operators and disconnect the programmable logic controllers.” It added that cyber attackers “are targeting water facilities of all sizes.” It pointed out that “even water facilities with advanced cybersecurity measures should verify their external connections, as this targeted activity includes cellular modems installed by operators, suppliers, or system integrators that may not be documented or included in routine attack surface scans.” The warning comes two days after Minnesota officials revealed that the state’s water networks were hit by cyberattacks on Sunday and Monday. U.S. officials told the American ABC News network that “federal and state authorities are investigating to determine whether Iran or hackers linked to it are behind these attacks.” The officials, whose identities were not disclosed by the network, said they are “awaiting more detailed results from technical investigations into the breach.” They emphasized that this analysis “remains preliminary,” with no official announcement made and the identity of the party behind the cyberattacks still undetermined. (End) R.S.R.