Several water systems in Minnesota were under attack from cyber intruders over the weekend. Investigators believe the attacks were launched from an Iranian hacking group called CyberAv3ngers. The attacks targeted approximately 30 water systems in Minnesota on Sunday and Monday and caused a brief interruption in the water supply for one community.
The most significant attack was in the small town of Braham, located in the Minneapolis area, which was without water for two hours due to a cyberattack. The water supply was cut off, but it was quickly restored.
Cybersecurity firm Tenable indicated that the attack methods used were similar to those previously used by the Iranian hacking group. US authorities are investigating whether Iran was behind the cyberattack on the water systems in Minnesota.
However, officials do not believe that the attacks in Minnesota were carried out by Iran or that the attacks were orchestrated by the group CyberAv3ngers.
The attacks in Minnesota occurred shortly after the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an alert about attacks launched by Iran’s proxies on internet-connected systems controlled by infrastructure operators. This warning highlighted the potential for such groups to target critical infrastructure.
Water utilities may be particularly vulnerable to such attacks since they use internet-connected machines to control and monitor operations.
A relatively small amount of protection of these machines can allow hackers to intervene in the functioning of critical infrastructure, even if they cannot access the main corporate IT system.
CyberAv3ngers has been accused of targeting industrial control systems by various companies, including water utilities, in the past. This hacking group has attracted increased attention from US authorities due to its suspected Iranian origin and potential access to critical infrastructure.
The attack on Minnesota water utilities is part of a wave of cyberattacks launched against the US and its allies.
Another hacking group, Handala, claimed to have attacked the medical equipment company Stryker and the payment processing company Verifone. Stryker confirmed that it was a victim of a cyberattack, while Verifone rejected the accusations.
The group Handala claimed that it carried out these attacks in retaliation for the US-Israeli military operation against Iran. The attack by Handala was reportedly in response to the assassination of an Iranian military commander and the bombing of a school in Iran, which resulted in the death of more than 150 people.
The US military investigation concluded that the attack on the school in Minab was due to the “inadvertent engagement” of the school by US aircraft, which was targeting a military installation.
The attacks on the water utilities in Minnesota illustrate the potential for geopolitical tensions to spill over into attacks on critical infrastructure. Even though it is unclear whether the attacks in Minnesota were launched by Iran, the fact that they were able to occur highlights the need for increased protection of internet-connected infrastructure equipment, as well as monitoring and rapid response systems.
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