FBI warns of cyber threats to water utilities as Clayton County investigates possible attack
Officials at the Clayton County Water Authority believe unauthorized cyber activity may have affected its systems in late July.
The utility company says it is investigating the incident, which caused reduced water pressure in parts of the county. At the time, the CCWA issued a precautionary boil water advisory as a safety measure. Service was restored within hours after officials determined the water was safe to use.
While the Clayton County Water Authority says there is no evidence that sensitive customer information, including billing or payment data, was compromised, the FBI and several state law enforcement agencies have been notified.
The FBI recently issued a public service announcement warning that malicious cyber actors have been targeting operational technology systems at utility companies nationwide. According to the agency, at least seven states have reported cyber incidents that disrupted water operations.
In many of those cases, attackers gained remote access to internet-connected devices, changed IP addresses and passwords, and caused utilities to lose monitoring and operational control. The FBI says some affected water systems experienced pressure loss and flooding as a result.
To help prevent similar attacks, the FBI and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommend that utilities remove programmable logic controllers, or PLCs, from direct internet exposure by using secure gateways and firewalls. The agencies also recommend using strong, unique passwords and access control lists to limit communications to authorized control system devices.
The FBI and EPA said they are working with affected organizations and are asking critical infrastructure owners and operators to review their cybersecurity practices. Anyone who believes they have been affected by a similar incident is encouraged to contact their local FBI field office and file a report.
