Iran-Linked Hackers Target More US Water Infrastructure in New Jersey and Alabama

The wave of cyberattacks targeting US water infrastructure has reached New Jersey and Alabama, bringing the confirmed count to at least 12 states since late July. The attacks are linked to Iranian hackers targeting industrial control systems made by Rockwell Automation and potentially other major vendors. Minnesota was the first to confirm over 30 affected water systems, followed by Michigan, South Dakota, and Georgia, and now two more states.

“The City of Cape May Sewer Department and the Borough of Woodbine Water Department reported the attacks on Thursday. Officials said the attacks happened nearly simultaneously early in the morning on July 27.” reports Fox29 “Both systems were impacted for approximately 12 hours.”

Water kept running in both New Jersey districts throughout the incident, and tests afterward confirmed no impact on water quality or safety. Cape May city manager Paul Dietrich told Fox29 that hackers changed settings to prevent remote access to the system, but did not take control of the systems to do anything — which is a meaningful distinction, and not the kind anyone wants to be making about their water supply.