Current:Home > FinanceIran-linked cyberattacks threaten equipment used in U.S. water systems and factories-LoTradeCoin
Iran-linked cyberattacks threaten equipment used in U.S. water systems and factories
View Date:2024-12-23 15:08:44
An Iran-linked hacking group is "actively targeting and compromising" multiple U.S. facilities for using an Israeli-made computer system, U.S. cybersecurity officials say.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said on Friday that the hackers, known as "CyberAv3ngers," have been infiltrating video screens with the message "You have been hacked, down with Israel. Every equipment 'made in Israel' is CyberAv3ngers legal target."
The cyberattacks have spanned multiple states, CISA said. While the equipment in question, "Unitronics Vision Series programmable logic controllers," is predominately used in water and wastewater systems, companies in energy, food and beverage manufacturing, and health care are also under threat.
"These compromised devices were publicly exposed to the internet with default passwords," CISA said.
The agency did not specify how many organizations have been hacked, but on Friday CNN reported that "less than 10" water facilities around the U.S. had been affected.
CyberAv3ngers was behind the breach at a water authority outside of Pittsburgh on Nov. 25. The Aliquippa water authority was forced to temporarily disable the compromised machine, but reassured citizens that the drinking water is safe.
While it did not cause any major disruptions to the water supply, the incident revealed just how vulnerable the nation's critical infrastructure is to cyberattacks.
"If a hack like this can happen here in Western Pennsylvania, it can happen elsewhere in the United States," Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey, and Rep. Chris Deluzio, who all represent the state, wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland on Tuesday. The lawmakers urged the Justice Department "to conduct a full investigation and hold those responsible accountable."
It also showed the scale and scope of Israel and Hamas' cyberwarfare. Alongside the fight on the ground, both sides of the conflict are armed with dozens of hacking groups that have been responsible for disrupting company operations, leaking sensitive information online and collecting user data to plan future attacks.
"We're now tracking over 150 such groups. And since you and I started to correspond, it was probably 20 or 30 or 40. So there's more groups, and more hacktivist groups are joining," Gil Messing, the chief of staff at the Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point, told NPR.
In response to the cyber concerns, Israeli authorities recently gave themselves new emergency wartime powers, which allows the government to step in if a company that specifically deals with cloud storage and digital services gets hacked.
NPR's Jenna McLaughlin contributed reporting.
veryGood! (53)
Related
- Spurs coach Gregg Popovich had a stroke earlier this month, is expected to make full recovery
- Shopping center shooting in Austin was random, police say
- More than 85,000 highchairs are under recall after two dozen reports of falls
- Rudy Giuliani pleads not guilty to charges in Georgia election case
- What that 'Disclaimer' twist says about the misogyny in all of us
- Hartford USL team says league refuses to reschedule game despite COVID-19 outbreak
- Court revives doctors’ lawsuit saying FDA overstepped its authority with anti-ivermectin campaign
- Labor Day return to office mandates yearn for 'normal.' But the pre-COVID workplace is gone.
- Kyle Richards Swears This Holiday Candle Is the Best Scent Ever and She Uses It All Year
- New Jersey gas tax to increase by about a penny per gallon starting Oct. 1
Ranking
- Beyoncé course coming to Yale University to examine her legacy
- Is UPS, USPS, FedEx delivering on Labor Day? Are banks, post offices open? What to know
- New law aims to prevent furniture tip-over deaths
- Founding father Gen. Anthony Wayne’s legacy is getting a second look at Ohio’s Wayne National Forest
- Arbitrator upholds 5-year bans of Bad Bunny baseball agency leaders, cuts agent penalty to 3 years
- Florida fishing village Horseshoe Beach hopes to maintain its charm after being walloped by Idalia
- A glacier baby is born: Mating glaciers to replace water lost to climate change
- Mohamed Al Fayed, whose son Dodi was killed in 1997 crash with Princess Diana, dies at 94
Recommendation
-
Justice Department sues to block UnitedHealth Group’s $3.3 billion purchase of Amedisys
-
You Can Bet on These Shirtless Photos of Zac Efron Heating Up Your Timeline
-
Taylor Swift's Eras Tour concert film opening same day as latest Exorcist movie
-
Federal judge blocks Texas law requiring I.D. to enter pornography websites
-
Bridgerton's Luke Newton Details His Physical Transformation for Season 3's Leading Role
-
Sister Wives Previews Heated Argument That Led to Janelle and Kody Brown's Breakup
-
Typhoon Saola makes landfall in southern China after nearly 900,000 people moved to safety
-
Florida fishing village Horseshoe Beach hopes to maintain its charm after being walloped by Idalia