Minnesota water systems hit in coordinated cyberattack
A coordinated cyberattack has targeted over 30 Minnesota community water systems, with Iranian-affiliated hackers suspected of breaching operational technology. The attack forced several towns to switch to manual operations, but no residents have been advised to change their drinking water use. The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had warned of this threat four days prior, but its guidance was largely ignored.
Key points
- The attack targeted operational technology at over 30 Minnesota community water systems, affecting pumps, wells, water towers, and wastewater lift stations.
- The suspected attackers are Iranian-affiliated hackers, according to a Minnesota state fusion center assessment.
- The US CISA had warned four days earlier that Iranian-affiliated actors were compromising internet-facing programmable logic controllers.
- The attack forced several towns to switch to manual operations, but no residents have been advised to change their drinking water use.
- The Minnesota IT Services activated a statewide incident response and is working to contain the breach.
A coordinated cyberattack has targeted over 30 Minnesota community water systems, with Iranian-affiliated hackers suspected of breaching operational technology. The attack forced several towns to switch to manual operations, but no residents have been advised to change their drinking water use.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had warned of this threat four days prior, but its guidance was largely ignored. The CISA advisory, AA26-097A, warned that Iranian-affiliated actors were compromising internet-facing programmable logic controllers made by Rockwell Automation.
The Minnesota IT Services has activated a statewide incident response and is working to contain the breach. The incident highlights the growing threat of cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and the need for increased awareness and preparedness among water utilities and government agencies.
Sources
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