FBI and EPA Warn of Cyber Attacks on Internet-Facing Controllers in Water Systems
Since July 27, utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, with some of the activity degrading water operations.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Environmental Protection Agency issued Public Service Announcement I-073026-PSA on July 30 stating that malicious cyber actors have conducted cyber attacks against Operational Technology devices, specifically Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 and 1400 series Programmable Logic Controllers, in the Water and Wastewater Sector.
Since July 27, utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents to the FBI, with some of the activity degrading water operations. After remotely accessing internet-facing devices, the actors changed IP addresses and passwords, producing a loss of monitoring and control functionality.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency stated on July 30 that it is observing a significant increase in cyber threat actors targeting programmable logic controllers in the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector.
The activity has resulted in boil water notices and sustained manual operations. CISA noted that the targeting includes cellular modems installed by operators, vendors, or system integrators that may not be documented or included in routine attack surface scans.
Observed Configuration Changes and Operational Effects
 | A guest post by
|