Current:Home > ContactLargest water utility company in the US says it was targeted by a cyberattack-DB Wealth Institute B2 Reviews & Ratings
Largest water utility company in the US says it was targeted by a cyberattack
lotradecoin benchmarks View Date:2024-12-26 05:42:45
WOODLAND PARK, N.J. — American Water Works, the nation's largest regulated water and wastewater utility company, announced Monday that it was hit by a cyberattack earlier this month, prompting it to pause billing for its millions of customers. The Camden, New Jersey-based utility company said it became aware of "unauthorized activity" in their computer networks and systems last Thursday, which was determined to be the "result of a cybersecurity incident." The company immediately took protective measures, including shutting down certain systems. "Upon learning of the issue, our team immediately activated our incident response protocols and third-party cybersecurity professionals to assist with containment, mitigation and an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident," American Water said in a security statement on its website. "We also notified law enforcement and are coordinating fully with them." The company has paused billing until further notice as it works to bring their systems back online "safely and securely," according to the statement. Its customer portal service, MyWater, remained offline as of Tuesday. With systems unavailable, American Water said services will not be shut off and customers will not be charged any late fees. The company said it believes that "none of its water or wastewater facilities or operations have been negatively impacted by this incident." Founded in 1886, American Water provides drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people across 14 states and 18 military installations, according to the company's website. The company also manages more than 500 individual water and wastewater systems in about 1,700 communities, including in New Jersey, Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania. American Water's cyberattack is the latest incident involving U.S. public utilities and infrastructure. The Environmental Protection Agency warned in May that cyberattacks targeting water utilities across the U.S. have increased in frequency and severity. In recent years, there has been an increasing number of cyberattacks as companies become more reliant on digital technologies. USA TODAY previously reported in July that number of data breach victims surpassed 1 billion for the first half of 2024 — a 409% increase from the same period last year. Federal authorities have also expressed concerns over the growing threat. In January, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Congress that Chinese hackers were preparing to “wreak havoc” on U.S. infrastructure, such as the electric grid and transportation systems. The EPA previously said federal agencies have issued numerous advisories for cyber threats against water and wastewater systems by foreign groups, including the Iranian Government Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Russian state-sponsored actors, and Chinese state-sponsored cyber actors. Earlier this year, a Russian-linked hacking group was tied to a cyberattack that caused a water system in the town of Muleshoe, Texas, to overflow, CNN reported. Local officials told CNN that the incident coincided with at least two other north Texas towns detecting suspicious cyber activity on their networks. Last November, an Iranian-linked cyber group hacked into water authority infrastructure in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. The group took partial control of a system that regulates water pressure — and one that includes technology manufactured in Israel. Federal authorities said the group was looking to disrupt Israeli-made technology in the United States. So far this year, cyberattacks have also disrupted insurance companies, hospital systems, and a major car dealership software company. USA TODAY reported in August that National Public Data — a data broker company — suffered a massive data breach, in which 2.9 billion records including names, addresses, and Social Security numbers were stolen. Contributing: Claire Thornton, Betty Lin-Fisher, and Bart Jansen, USA TODAYRecent cybersecurity threats in the U.S.
veryGood! (198)
Related
- Democrats try to block Green Party from presidential ballot in Wisconsin, citing legal issues
- Transgender inclusion? World’s major religions take varying stances on policies toward trans people
- Kentucky basketball forward Aaron Bradshaw enters transfer portal after John Calipari news
- Tesla settles lawsuit over man’s death in a crash involving its semi-autonomous driving software
- Detroit judge orders sleepy teenage girl on field trip to be handcuffed, threatens jail
- 50th anniversary of Hank Aaron's 715th home run: His closest friends remember the HR king
- Evers vetoes a Republican-backed bill targeting PFAS chemicals
- Why Louis Tomlinson Is No Longer Concerned About Harry Styles Conspiracy Theories
- Infamous LA officer’s gun found in $1 million watch robbery case
- Great hair day: Gene Keady showed Purdue basketball spirit in his hair for Final Four
Ranking
- State, local officials failed 12-year-old Pennsylvania girl who died after abuse, lawsuits say
- Brazil Supreme Court investigating Elon Musk over obstruction, disinformation on X
- NCAA Tournament winners, losers: Kamilla Cardoso, Tessa Johnson shine; refs disappoint
- A small Italian island with a population of 100 people is being overrun by 600 goats. The mayor wants people to adopt them.
- Conservative are pushing a ‘parental rights’ agenda in Florida school board races. But will it work?
- Evers vetoes a Republican-backed bill targeting PFAS chemicals
- Missouri death row inmate nears execution with appeals before Supreme Court
- The online eclipse experience: People on X get creative, political and possibly blind
Recommendation
-
Oklahoma city approves $7M settlement for man wrongfully imprisoned for decades
-
'One Shining Moment' caps off 2024 men's NCAA Tournament following UConn's win over Purdue
-
Norfolk Southern agrees to pay $600 million for East Palestine, Ohio, train derailment
-
Calvin Harris’ Wife Vick Hope Admits She Listens to Taylor Swift When He’s Gone
-
New York county signs controversial mask ban meant to hide people's identities in public
-
Deceased infant, injured child found alone on Los Angeles freeway, reports say
-
New York doctor dies after falling out of moving trailer while headed upstate to see the eclipse
-
Missouri death row inmate nears execution with appeals before Supreme Court