October 7, 2024 at 01:34PM
American Water, the largest U.S. water and wastewater utility, experienced a cyberattack prompting system shutdowns. The company hired cybersecurity experts and initiated a joint investigation with law enforcement. The incident led to the closure of its online services and billing paused. The company assured no impact on water facilities. This event reflects growing cyber threats to the water sector.
From the meeting notes, it is clear that American Water, a prominent U.S. water and wastewater utility company, faced a cybersecurity incident, which led to the shut down of some of its systems. The company has taken steps to contain and assess the incident’s impact, including hiring third-party cybersecurity experts, reporting the breach to law enforcement, and disconnecting or deactivating certain systems to protect its data. This incident also affected the company’s online customer portal service and billing services, prompting the company to assure customers of no late charges during the system unavailability. American Water has emphasized that its water and wastewater facilities and operations have not been negatively impacted. The incident, along with previous cyberattacks on water facilities in Arkansas City and other global instances, highlights the growing concern over cyber threats targeting the water sector. Additionally, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued guidance to assist water and wastewater systems in evaluating their cybersecurity practices.