US Internal Security Warns of Cyber Threats to Water Networks

Following cyberattacks that struck 30 water plants in Minnesota

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a warning today regarding potential cyber threats to water networks in the United States, following cyberattacks on 30 water plants in Minnesota.

In a warning post, 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.”

Breaking News

Urgent News

The agency urged owners and operators of critical infrastructure to “remove programmable logic controllers and other operational technologies exposed to the internet as quickly as possible.”

It highlighted that attackers targeting exposed PLCs “have modified passwords to block operators and disconnect the programmable logic controllers.”

The agency pointed out that cyber attackers “are targeting water facilities of all sizes.”

It emphasized that “even water facilities with advanced cybersecurity measures should verify their external connections, as this targeting activity includes cellular modems installed by operators, suppliers, or system integrators, which 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 ABC News 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, noted that they are “awaiting more detailed results from technical investigations into the breach.”

They stressed that this analysis “is still preliminary,” with no official announcement made and the identity of the party behind the cyberattacks yet to be determined.