The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said it had opened an investigation into a wave of cyberattacks targeting municipal water systems in at least seven states the previous month.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency announced in July that internet-facing systems at more than 100 water and wastewater facilities had been targeted. In an alert published on August 21, the agency called on all critical infrastructure organizations to strengthen relevant security mechanisms against possible intrusions.
In addition, hacker groups allegedly linked to Iran were accused of targeting internet-connected automated systems used in the telecommunications, energy and water infrastructure sectors in the United States.
Government and cybersecurity sources said the attempted attacks had not succeeded so far. The sources also said artificial intelligence had helped attackers identify targets and penetrate systems, significantly lowering the barrier for carrying out such attacks.
APT IRAN group issues threatening statement
The hacker group APT IRAN, which claims to conduct cyber operations linked to Iran, said in a statement posted on its social media account that its previous warnings had been ignored.
It will soon witness unexpected and critical incidents in the US energy, water and telecommunications sectors.
In its statement, the group used these words while referring to targets in the energy, water and telecommunications sectors.
Attacks on water systems under investigation
While the FBI investigation into the wave of cyberattacks targeting municipal water systems in the United States continues, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has warned critical infrastructure organizations about threats to internet-facing systems.
