FBI: Hackers Targeted Water Utility Providers in at Least 7 States
The FBI reported that water and wastewater utilities in at least seven U.S. states faced cyberattacks targeting their programmable logic controllers. The attacks disrupted operations, causing pressure loss and flooding, and were linked to internet‑exposed PLCs from Rockwell Automation. Federal and state agencies urged utilities to disconnect PLCs from public internet, apply firewall rules, and use strong passwords to mitigate further risk.
- ▪The incidents began on Monday and affected water systems in a minimum of seven states.
- ▪Hackers exploited Rockwell Automation’s MicroLogix 1100 and 1400 series PLCs, altering IP addresses and passwords.
- ▪Operational impacts included loss of water pressure and flooding, potentially allowing untreated groundwater into pipes.
- ▪The FBI and EPA advised utilities to remove PLCs from public internet exposure and strengthen security controls.
- ▪U.S. officials suspect Iranian actors may be behind the attacks, though no specific attribution has been confirmed.
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| Original publisher | PCMag |
| Canonical URL | https://www.pcmag.com/news/fbi-hackers-targeted-water-utility-providers-in-at-least-7-states |
| Publication time | Fri, 31 Jul 26 21:25:48 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-07-31T21:58:42.908Z |
| Last seen | 2026-07-31T21:58:42.908Z |
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| Summary | WeSearch · cerebras-chat (WeSearch summarizer) |
| Summary source text | contentText |
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| Cluster | 6K4nz7wFTOgs · 1 stories |
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| Ranking reason | Story pages are not engagement-ranked. Hub feeds use recency, with optional source-diversified chronological ordering (cap consecutive stories per source). No personalized ranking. |
| Publisher visit | Yes — open original |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
The FBI indicates that a growing number of water systems in the US have been fending off cyberattacks aimed at disrupting their operations. The incidents began on Monday and involved water and wastewater utility companies in at least seven US states. “Some of that activity degraded water operations,” the agency said in a Thursday alert with the Environmental Protection Agency. The alert arrives after Minnesota reported a “coordinated cyberattack” targeting more than 30 community water systems on Sunday into Monday. The FBI’s advisory shows the hacking attempts have been much wider in scope.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at PCMag.
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