You probably never think about the computer systems behind your kitchen faucet.You turn the handle and expect clean water.
That familiar routine suddenly felt far less certain in Minnesota and six other states.A coordinated cyberattack targeted operational technology at more than 30 community water systems on Sunday, July 26, and Monday, July 27.Minnesota IT Services, known as MNIT, activated the state's cybersecurity response and brought in federal agencies to help investigate.One water plant temporarily went offline.
Meanwhile, other communities reported problems involving automated controls or communications equipment.Workers switched to manual operations or used backup procedures to keep essential services running.
Fortunately, state officials reported no active requests for residents to reduce or change their drinking water use.The FBI has since said that water or wastewater utility companies in seven states have been affected."Some of that activity degraded water operations," the bureau said.This water cyberattack raises an uncomfortable question for towns across America.How many local utilities could keep operating if hackers gained access to the computers controlling their equipment?INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE IRANIAN HACKERS ARE LIKELY BEHIND CYBERATTACK ON MINNESOTA WATER SYSTEMS: REPORTCyberGuy Live: Missed "Sick of Spam?" Get the replay and checklistOur free CyberGuy Live class, "Sick of Spam?", has ended, but you can still watch the full replay and download our spam-stopping checklist.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson walks you step by step through simple ways to reduce robocalls, spam texts, junk email and unwanted messages.You’ll also learn how to curb political texts, clean up your inbox and spot messages that could put your personal information at risk.Get the free replay and checklist now at CyberGuyLive.com.A water tower is seen Thursday, July 30, 2026, in Plymouth, Minn.
A cyberattack targeted operating technology at more than 30 water systems in Minnes...