Since the end of July, several water utilities in the United States have been affected by cyberattacks across approximately a dozen states. On July 28, Minnesota authorities announced that water treatment plants in more than 30 communities were targeted.
Two days later, the FBI stated that water and wastewater utility companies in "at least seven states" reported incidents, with some attacks degrading water operations. Reported hacks have also occurred in Arkansas, Georgia, New Jersey, and Michigan.
While the US government has not officially named a culprit, US intelligence agencies are reportedly confident that Iran, particularly the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is responsible. This attribution is not yet public, according to sources, due to uncertainty about the specific IRGC unit involved and potential reluctance to contradict President Donald Trump's earlier claim that there was no Iranian cyberattack.
The FBI noted that some cyberattacks caused a loss of pressure, which "could potentially allow untreated groundwater to seep into pipes," and flooding. The town of Braham, Minnesota, had to take its water plant offline for several hours, urging residents to conserve water. In a county outside Atlanta, Georgia, officials briefly advised residents to boil water as a precautionary measure.