Hack of water sector supplier draws FBI scrutiny as Iran-linked cyber concerns grow

U.S.authorities are investigating a data breach at a small maker of water utility technology, highlighting infrastructure cybersecurity threats even ​though the Kansas firm was apparently not part of a suspected Iranian-affiliated campaign against water plants in Minnesota ‌and other states starting in July.The company and the FBI confirmed the attack at Micro-Comm in Olathe, Kansas, which has not previously been reported.

Responsibility was claimed by Barracuda, a relatively new ransomware group that says it is motivated by profit and is not government sponsored.The group posted ​on August 6 what it said was nearly 850,000 company files with roughly 644 gigabytes of data.Micro-Comm makes programmable ​logic controllers (PLCs), computer devices used to control machinery within critical infrastructure networks, in this case by wastewater ⁠processing facilities.The Micro-Comm breach highlighted the complexity of securing local U.S.

water systems and the vendors that support them from increasing cyberattacks on ​computer systems embedded in the nation’s critical infrastructure.The breach occurred during a late July spate of hacks that targeted PLCs in Minnesota and ​at least six other states.Cybersecurity experts believe the attacks were part of a long-running Iranian-affiliated cyber campaign.The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency warned July 30 that hackers were targeting PLCs from U.S.-based Rockwell Automation (ROK.N), France’s Schneider Electric (SCHN.PA), and Germany’s Siemens (SIEGn.DE).CISA said August 19 that hackers were ​using AI to ease their attacks on Siemens equipment.

The company subsequently said it was working with CISA and its products are safe.Dixon Land, ​a spokesperson for the FBI’s Kansas City field office, said in an email that the FBI was in contact with Micro-Comm about the hack and ‌coordinating ⁠with other law enforcement agencies.CISA referred questions to Micro-Comm.Jim Co...