US warns of Iran-affiliated cyberattacks on critical infrastructure

Top government security agencies issued a warning of Iran-affiliated cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure across the US this week. In a joint statement, the agencies advised municipalities, particularly in the water and energy sectors, to be vigilant for unusual activity. Jeffrey Hall, an assistant administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), stated, "Cyberattacks on drinking water and wastewater systems directly threaten public health and community resilience."

The advisory did not specify targeted facilities or any sustained damage. Agencies involved in the warning include the EPA, FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, National Security Agency, Department of Energy, and US Cyber Command. This warning coincides with heightened tensions as Donald Trump escalated his rhetoric against Iran, threatening severe consequences if demands regarding the Strait of Hormuz were not met.

Iran has a history of cyber-attacks, including a significant power outage in Turkey in 2015 and breaches of Israeli government websites in 2022. The US has attributed some cyber activities to an Iran-affiliated group known as "CyberAv3ngers," which compromised at least 75 devices in various infrastructure sectors in 2023. The current advisory indicated that the attacks are backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and are targeting programmable logic controllers made by Rockwell Automation. The agencies urged municipalities to ensure these devices are not connected to the internet.