More than 100 Water Systems Were Hit in July Cyberattacks
CISA said the campaign compromised controllers that manage valves, flow and chemical treatment at water providers in 12 states.
- On August 21, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency disclosed that hackers targeted more than 100 water and wastewater systems across 12 states during July, marking the first federal quantification of the campaign.
- Attackers exploited Programmable Logic Controllers often connected directly to the internet via cellular modems that regulate valves, pumps, and treatment processes in water systems.
- The intrusions forced operators to shift to manual control, reassigned IP addresses, and prompted boil-water notices, with authorities noting activity consistent with tactics previously linked to Iranian state-sponsored groups.
- CISA urges critical infrastructure owners to remove publicly exposed PLCs from the internet immediately and implement mitigations to strengthen security postures against further attacks.
- Many small utilities operate on limited budgets, leaving them vulnerable; cybersecurity expert Lesley Carhart, who works for Dragos, warned, "The ability for small water utilities to detect a cyber incident is out of reach.
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CISA says over 100 US water systems were targeted in July 2026 alone
CISA warned of rising cyberattacks on US water systems, targeting 100+ exposed PLCs in July 2026Attacks caused password changes, IP reassignments, boil water notices, and manual operationsAttribution uncertain, but reports suggest Iranian group; CISA urges removing PLCs from internetCISA has warned of a “significant increase” in cyberattacks targeting US water systems, urging organizations to implement mitigations, strengthen their security post…
CISA Exposes Scale of Summer Assault on U.S. Water Systems as Iran Ties Loom
Hackers hit more than 100 internet-exposed water and wastewater systems across the United States last month. The attacks focused on programmable logic controllers. These devices run pumps, treatment processes and alarms that keep drinking water safe and flowing. CISA’s late confirmation reveals the breadth of a campaign that began with visible strikes in Minnesota. Officials first learned of trouble in late July. Minnesota authorities reported a…
The Register
More than 100 water systems were hit in July cyberattacks
The US government disclosed that crims targeted more than 100 internet-exposed water systems during July cyberattacks. That's the first time the feds have put a number on the digital intrusions, but they have yet to attribute the campaign, widely suspected to be linked to Iran, to a particular group. “In July 2026, CISA observed malicious cyber activity targeting over 100 internet-exposed systems in the Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) Sector,…
Government admits water system cyberattacks were worse than first reported | Illinois State Bar Association
Government admits water system cyberattacks were worse than first reportedIt’s been exactly a month of what one global cyber expert calls “complete chaos” in the public water industry, and now we know why. Source: NBC 5 Chicago
Hackers Target Over 100 U.S. Water Systems in a Single Month
America’s water utilities faced a concentrated wave of cyberattacks in July, with exposed industrial control systems providing attackers a direct path into operational technology. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said malicious actors targeted more than 100 internet-exposed systems in the U.S. Water and Wastewater Systems sector during July 2026. In several cases, attackers remotely accessed programmable logic controllers, ch…
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