President Donald Trump earlier suggested that the incompetence of local authorities was behind the problems, rather than Iran
Hackers have targeted water and wastewater utilities in at least a dozen US states, ABC News has reported, citing multiple sources.
The American authorities believe that Iran, which has been in conflict with the US since being attacked in late February, is the main suspect behind the cyberattacks, although its involvement hasn’t been officially confirmed, the broadcaster said on Tuesday.
Tehran hasn’t commented on the claims. Over the years, the US has accused Iran of attempting to hack its banks, infrastructure, and communications of high-ranking officials, with the Islamic Republic consistently denying the allegations.
Last Thursday, the FBI said “malicious cyber actors” had targeted water and wastewater utility systems in seven states in late July. Their actions resulted in the “loss of monitoring and control functionality” of key infrastructure, it said.
At least five more states have since faced similar attacks, according to ABC News.
The cyberattacks can blind utility operators by changing passwords or disabling alarms, the sources said. However, so far they have not caused any widespread disruptions to water supplies, they added.
US media mentioned Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, South Dakota, and Georgia as among the states affected.
Michigan State Police said that after the hack “all systems continued to operate safely, issues were addressed by local operators, and there are no known impacts that posed a public health concern.”
The FBI urged the operators to disconnect their systems from the internet where possible, use secure software, and prepare to switch to manual controls if necessary.
Experts have sounded the alarm over insufficient cybersecurity at water treatment facilities across the US, saying that it makes them vulnerable to attacks.
Last week, US President Donald Trump ruled out Iranian involvement in the hacking of the infrastructure. “They blamed it on Iran. I don’t think so. I think I blame it on Minnesota because they’re grossly incompetent… Iran’s got bigger problems than worrying about Minnesota,” he said during a cabinet meeting. Trump also attacked the state’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz, calling him “corrupt.”
Walz responded in a post on X, saying: “Trump knows exactly who is responsible for this attack, and knows that other states were hit too. This is what modern warfare looks like, and it further illustrates there’s no plan to win a war with Iran.”
