NJ-based water supplier American Water hit by cyberattack

Camden, N.J.-based h2o supplier American Water, the largest h2o inferior successful the U.S., has been deed by a cyberattack.

“American Water precocious learned of unauthorized enactment successful our machine networks and systems which we determined to beryllium the effect of a cybersecurity incident,” a connection connected the company’s Security FAQ leafage reads. “As portion of our response, we proactively took our lawsuit portal service, MyWater, offline, which means we are pausing billing until further notice.”

The institution became alert of the cyberattack connected Oct. 3 and is “working diligently to bring these systems backmost online safely and securely.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the company’s lawsuit portal was inactive offline. Customers are not being billed and nary one’s work volition beryllium unopen disconnected until further notice.

The institution said it “currently believe[s]” nary of its h2o oregon wastewater facilities oregon operations “have been negatively impacted by this incident” and that it’s harmless to portion the water, but it’s “currently incapable to foretell the afloat impact” of the hack.

American Water provides drinking h2o and wastewater work to much than 14 cardinal radical successful 14 states and connected 18 subject installations.

The actors down the hack stay unknown, but the institution said unspecified instrumentality enforcement was investigating the incident.

Experts consider h2o utilities to beryllium particularly vulnerable to cybercrime, according to CNBC. An Environmental Protection Agency study of inspected h2o systems recovered “alarming cybersecurity vulnerabilities” astatine an undisclosed fig of locations.

FBI Director Chris Wray testified to Congress successful February that “every American” is affected by overseas agents hacking infrastructure. He specifically blamed China for hacking captious systems successful bid to “wreak havoc and origin real-world harm.”