America Warns of Hacker Attacks to Disrupt Water Networks

The U.S. government has warned state governors that foreign hackers are launching destructive cyberattacks on water and sewage systems across the country. In a message released yesterday, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and EPA Administrator Michael Regan cautioned that "cyberattack failures are hitting water and sewage systems throughout the United States." The message specifically mentioned alleged Iranian and Chinese saboteurs. Sullivan and Regan referred to a recent incident in which hackers accused of coordinating with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard disrupted a control unit at a water facility in Pennsylvania. They also pointed to a Chinese hacking group known as "Volt Typhoon," which they said "has breached the IT of multiple critical infrastructure systems, including drinking water, in the United States and its territories." The message stated that "these attacks have the potential to disrupt the vital lifeline of clean and safe drinking water, as well as impose significant costs on affected communities."