Foreign hackers targeted and manipulated equipment at two small water systems in Colorado in late August, according to the office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis.
The incidents affected two privately owned utilities, each serving fewer than 200 people. State officials said there was no impact on public safety or water services, and there was no indication that drinking water quality was affected.
According to a spokesperson for the governor, the attackers were able to change equipment settings at the facilities. The changes included disabling remote access and alarms and modifying pumping cycles.
The governor’s office said it could not confirm which foreign actors were responsible. However, officials are aware of ongoing attempts across the United States by an Iranian-backed group to gain access to drinking water and wastewater systems.
The incidents were brief, and the affected providers were able to address the risks themselves before notifying state authorities. Officials said treatment processes and water quality were not affected at either facility.
The Colorado incidents came several weeks after a broader wave of cyberattacks targeting equipment at local water systems across about a dozen U.S. states. A U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency advisory issued in August said roughly 100 water entities had been affected.
The earlier attacks have drawn attention from cybersecurity experts because of similarities to previous Iranian-linked campaigns targeting programmable logic controllers, or PLCs. These industrial devices are commonly used to control machinery and processes in critical infrastructure facilities.
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The FBI previously said some of those attacks disrupted water operations by changing IP addresses, enabling or changing passwords, and interfering with connected equipment. In some cases, the changes caused operators to lose visibility into equipment and, in certain facilities, affected its functionality.
Foreign Hacker Target Two Colorado Water Systems, Officials Say
