Iran Cyberattacks Against Minnesota Water Systems

Reports of cyberattacks targeting U.S. water systems, possibly tied to Iranian hackers, have surfaced in at least a dozen states, according to sources familiar with the situation. Michigan, Minnesota, Georgia, New Jersey, and South Dakota are among those affected. In Minnesota, over 30 community water systems were impacted, while Georgia's Clayton County Water Authority reported a drop in water pressure after a cyber incident last month, which led to a boil water advisory for 300,000 customers in the Atlanta region.

Service was restored within hours, but some utilities have lost crucial remote-control capabilities, requiring operators to revert to manual mode. In numerous instances, hackers gained remote access to pumps, valves, and water pressure. So far, federal officials report that the cyberattacks have not compromised drinking water safety.

On July 30, the FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a warning about cyber threat actors remotely accessing online infrastructure for water and wastewater systems in at least seven states, causing a loss of monitoring and control functionality. Water agencies were advised to disconnect their operating programs from the internet and enhance password protections and firewalls.

While federal investigators suspect Iran-backed hackers are responsible for the attacks, they have not formally attributed the incidents. The tactics bear resemblance to a 2023 campaign by the CyberAv3ngers, a group allegedly linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, which exploited water-system controllers using default passwords.