A cyberattack on water systems in the United States is now being reported in more than one state. According to the report, sources are identifying two more states that are now reporting cyberattacks on water systems after a hack on systems in Minnesota that investigators say may be linked to Iran or its proxy groups. The development points to a security concern involving the infrastructure that delivers water to communities.
The reporting traced the sequence of events back to a single state. As described in the report, this all started, at least reportedly, in Minnesota, where more than 30 water systems were targeted in what officials are calling a coordinated cyberattack. The scale of the targeting in that state was presented as the starting point of the wider concern.
Details were given about what the hackers went after. According to the report, the hackers went after the computerized control systems at these water facilities, essentially the mechanisms that help operate the infrastructure. The same kind of activity was then described in two additional states, with very similar attacks reported in Georgia and Michigan.
State officials sought to frame the extent of the damage. According to the report, state officials say the disruptions were very limited, saying that they identified the vulnerabilities rather quickly and essentially that they caught this in time. That account placed the emphasis on the response rather than on any lasting effect on the water supply.
The question of who was behind the attacks remained open. According to the report, federal investigators say they may be looking into whether this has a link to Iran, whether directly or by proxy, and Minnesota leaders have been briefed on that possibility. It was noted that authorities have not publicly identified who or what is responsible.
The matter also drew a political dispute. According to the report, President Trump disputes that Iran assessment, instead blaming state officials like Governor Tim Walz, calling this gross incompetence but not providing any evidence, while Walz rejected those comments. Meanwhile, the report said, the FBI is investigating, though officials are not publicly naming who or what is responsible.
A former official offered an assessment of how prepared systems are for such attacks. According to the report, former senior CIA operations officer and ABC News contributor Daryl Blocker said the United States is not prepared for the attacks, adding that a person does not have to be a very sophisticated player in this field to cause disruption and that changing one little thing within a system can disrupt the entire infrastructure process. The report suggested people monitor what their local authorities are saying and prepare for the possibility of boiling water or being without being able to rely on the tap being as consistently safe as in the past.