State IT teams confirm a coordinated hack struck local water utilities, but say drinking water stayed safe.

More than 30 community water systems across Minnesota were hit by a coordinated cyberattack on July 26 and 27, according to Minnesota IT Services. No city has told residents to change how they use their tap water.

Key Details

Four Minnesota cities had already gone public with cyberattack notices before the state agency confirmed the broader scope. Agency spokesperson Emily Zimmer said investigators found unauthorized access carried out with malicious intent, which is why officials are calling it an attack. She added that the timing, entry methods, and the type of infrastructure targeted line up with patterns federal partners have seen in other critical infrastructure incidents. No formal attribution has been made yet.

The FBI confirmed it’s aware of the situation and is working directly with affected utilities. CISA hasn’t commented.

Why It Matters

Iranian-linked hackers have targeted U.S. water systems for years. A CISA advisory from April flagged attacks on programmable logic controllers made by Rockwell Automation – the devices utilities use to run pumps and treatment equipment. A July update widened that warning to include gear from Schneider Electric and Siemens.

Dataminr’s Joe Slowik called the expanded targeting “a worrying expansion” of Iran-linked activity aimed at the U.S., warning that hitting more equipment types raises the risk of real physical damage, not just data theft.

What’s Next

Attribution hasn’t been confirmed, and the investigation is active. Expect more disclosures as affected cities and federal agencies piece together the full picture.

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Source: Reuters