American Water hit by cyberattack, takes some systems offline

8 October 2024, 16:06 published

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American Water Works Company, the largest public water and wastewater utility company in the United States, has confirmed suffering a cyberattack which forced it to shut down parts of its infrastructure.

In an 8-K form filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said it detected, “unauthorized activity within its computer networks and systems” on October 3 2024.

It determined this activity was a “cybersecurity incident” which triggered its incident response protocols, resulting in the company bringing in third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate, notifying the appropriate law enforcement, and shutting some systems down to contain the damage.

Ransomware or no ransomware

“The Company has taken and will continue to take steps to protect its systems and data, including disconnecting or deactivating certain of its systems,” American Water Works said in the 8-K form, without specifying what was disconnected, or how long it plans to keep the systems offline.

The company noted none of its water or wastewater facilities or operations were negatively impacted by the incident, and that it doesn’t expect the attack to have a material impact, although this may change as the investigation is still ongoing.

Usually, when a company shuts down parts of its network, it’s due to a ransomware attack. However, American Water did not confirm it just yet: “In an effort to protect our customers’ data and to prevent any further harm to our environment, we disconnected or deactivated certain systems,” Ruben Rodriguez, a spokesperson for American Water, said in a statement.

“There will be no late charges for customers while these systems are unavailable,” Rodriguez concluded, without specifying the nature of the attack, adding, “our dedicated team of professionals are working around the clock to investigate the nature and scope of the incident.”

American Water provides regulated and market-based drinking water, wastewater services, and related services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Its services are essential for millions of Americans, playing a vital role in public health and safety.

Via TechCrunch