Iran suspected of major cyber attack on US water systems across seven states

Seven US states have reported damage from a co-ordinated cyber attack targeting water infrastructure, with American officials suspecting Iranian involvement. According to reports in the New York Times, while water supplies were not disrupted, authorities have placed systems on high alert over concerns that monitoring equipment controlling water quality and chemical levels may have been compromised. The incident marks an escalation in attempts by hostile nations to target critical American infrastructure, particularly utilities that millions of citizens depend on daily. Investigators are currently assessing the full extent of the damage and working to secure affected systems against further intrusion. The attack mirrors previous Iranian cyber operations against critical infrastructure, including a documented 2020 attempt against Israeli water systems that sought to interfere with chlorine levels, as previously reported by Israeli media. Cyber attacks on water utilities are considered particularly concerning by security experts, as they could potentially endanger public health if systems controlling chemical treatment and safety monitoring are compromised. US Homeland Security and other federal agencies are co-ordinating with state authorities to investigate the breach and strengthen defences against future attacks.

Source: Ynet — Original article in Hebrew.