Cyberattacks on municipal water systems have been detected across seven states. This prompted the FBI and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue warnings nationwide. These attacks, aimed at disrupting critical water infrastructure, have led utilities to report incidents to the FBI. Some of these cyber intrusions have degraded water operations.
Although the states affected are not specified, over 30 municipal water facilities in Minnesota have been targeted. This attack shows signs of Iranian involvement, according to a law enforcement official. While investigations continue, Minnesota’s information technology agency confirmed no water supply contamination has been detected.
The federal advisory mentions that malicious cyber actors have targeted certain brands of control systems used by municipal water utilities. However, the FBI and EPA advise operators to take precautions across all systems. They emphasize the threat to U.S. infrastructure, especially with the military conflict involving Iran intensifying.
Hackers accessed internet-facing devices, altered IP addresses and passwords, causing utilities to face monitoring and control challenges. The advisory recommends removing programmable logical controllers from direct internet exposure by using secure gateways and firewalls. It also calls for strong passwords and limiting communications between authorized devices with access control lists.
“Attribution requires careful analysis of technical evidence alongside broader national and international threat intelligence,” stated Emily Zimmer from Minnesota’s IT agency.
The incident in Minnesota occurred shortly after U.S. warnings about Iran-backed hackers targeting critical infrastructure. On July 22, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, along with the FBI, advised companies to strengthen defenses against attempts to breach automated devices managing infrastructure systems.
U.S. intelligence agencies have cautioned about Iran’s increasing capability for aggressive cyber operations, including targeting water systems. Two years ago, the EPA identified a rise in cyberattacks on national water utilities. In May 2024, it reported that 70% of utilities inspected had violated standards preventing such breaches.
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Cyberattacks on Water Utilities in Multiple States