Ethical Hacking News
American Water Shuts Down Its App Amid Cybersecurity Incident Investigation
The US water industry has been hit with another high-profile cybersecurity breach, this time involving one of its largest regulated providers. American Water has paused its billing operations and taken steps to protect customer data after discovering a breach in its MyWater app. The company is working with law enforcement and outside security investigators to determine the cause of the incident and prevent any further harm.
American Water has shut down its MyWater app and ceased billing operations after discovering a cybersecurity breach. The company believes none of its water or wastewater facilities were impacted, but paused operations as a precautionary measure. Investigation into the breach is ongoing, with American Water working to contain and remediate its environment. Cybersecurity breaches in critical infrastructure are a growing concern, particularly in the water industry. The US government has created the Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force to improve cybersecurity measures among states and water companies.
American Water, one of the largest regulated water providers in the US, has recently shut down its MyWater app and ceased billing operations after discovering a cybersecurity breach. The company has taken swift action to protect customer data, siloing off parts of its network and pausing the MyWater app to prevent further harm.
According to an 8-K filing with regulators, American Water believes that none of its water or wastewater facilities or operations have been negatively impacted by the incident. However, the company has paused its billing operations as a precautionary measure. The CEO stated that "in an effort to protect our customers' data and to prevent any further harm to our environment," the company disconnected certain systems.
The investigation into the breach is ongoing, with American Water working around the clock to contain and remediate its environment. The company will provide updates on its website as the situation develops. In a statement, the CEO emphasized the importance of protecting customer data and preventing any potential harm to the environment.
This incident highlights the growing concern of cybersecurity breaches in critical infrastructure, particularly in the water industry. The US government has warned that Iranian cybergroups have been targeting water suppliers' networks, exploiting default passwords on programmable logic controllers. China has also been active in trying to find weaknesses in America's water supply.
In response to these threats, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the creation of the Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force to look at ways of hardening up America's suppliers to attack. The task force aims to provide guidance and support to states and water companies on how to improve their cybersecurity measures.
The incident also underscores the need for greater awareness and preparedness among critical infrastructure operators. As the US government warned, "water systems are an obvious target" for ransomware operators, who may take advantage of a breach to extort money from victims.
In recent months, several high-profile breaches have highlighted the vulnerability of water utilities to cyberattacks. These incidents demonstrate the importance of investing in robust cybersecurity measures and staying up-to-date with the latest security patches.
As the investigation into American Water's breach continues, it is clear that the company has taken the necessary steps to protect customer data and prevent any potential harm. However, this incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat of cyberattacks against critical infrastructure and the need for operators to remain vigilant and proactive in protecting their networks.
Related Information:
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2024/10/07/american_water_hack/
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/american-water-stops-billing-for-h2o-due-to-cybersecurity-incident/ar-AA1rQIRx
https://techcrunch.com/2024/10/07/american-water-warns-of-billing-outages-after-finding-hackers-in-its-systems/
Published: Mon Oct 7 17:11:06 2024 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
