In a statement, American Water said it detected “unauthorized activity” on its network and computer systems on October 3 and determined it was “the result of a cybersecurity incident.”

The largest water utility in the United States will close its customer service portal and billing functions until further notice on October 8. The company will not charge late fees or other bill-related charges during the shutdown.

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Cyber ​​attacks on critical infrastructure such as water in the US are on the rise. Photo: Vice

Several recent cyberattacks on major US companies have disrupted critical online systems and caused chaos for users and businesses, such as the UnitedHealth attack that affected patients' ability to get prescriptions or pay for medical visits.

In particular, attacks on America’s water infrastructure are on the rise. All water and wastewater systems are at risk, whether large or small, urban or rural, according to a spokesperson for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

American Water provides drinking water and wastewater services to more than 14 million people.

In January, a water treatment plant in a small Texas town near a U.S. Air Force base was hit by a cyberattack. Water systems are among the least secure, according to Adam Isles, head of the Chertoff Group’s cybersecurity practice.

In February, the FBI warned Congress about hackers penetrating deep into the US cyber infrastructure to wreak havoc, targeting water treatment, the power grid, transportation systems and other critical infrastructure.

America Water is in the early stages of its investigation and “currently believes” no water or wastewater plants were affected. Residents can still drink the water safely.

The EPA warned that 70% of the water systems it inspected were not fully compliant with the requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act. While it did not provide an exact number, the EPA said some had “alarming cybersecurity vulnerabilities,” such as default passwords that had not been changed and former employees still had access to the system.

American Water said it shut down customer systems to protect data. It is too early to determine whether any customer information is at risk.

(According to CNBC)