Iran Suspected in Cyberattacks on New Jersey Water Systems
New Jersey officials confirmed that two unnamed municipal water systems in the state were targeted in cyberattacks last week, with Iran identified as the prime suspect. The incidents disrupted automated monitoring systems, forcing operators to switch to manual controls. While service remained uninterrupted and no customers lost access to safe drinking water, the attacks exposed vulnerabilities in internet-exposed control systems.
The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) responded alongside federal partners, including the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Investigations revealed that the attackers exploited weaknesses in widely used utility software, prompting a nationwide scramble to assess potential breaches in other systems running the same software. A patch has since been released.
Similar incidents were reported in Georgia, where the Clayton County Water Authority briefly issued a boil-water advisory after a hack, though Columbus Water Works detected an intrusion without service disruption. At least a dozen states have seen attacks on water and wastewater utilities, though no widespread disruptions or public health impacts have been confirmed. Officials continue to evaluate the full scope of the campaign and its potential risks to critical infrastructure.
Clayton County Water Authority cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/clayton-county-water-authority
Columbus Water Works cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/columbuswaterworks
"id": "CLACOL1785947301",
"linkid": "clayton-county-water-authority, columbuswaterworks",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "7/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "7",
"explanation": "Attack that could injure or kill people"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Critical Infrastructure',
'location': 'New Jersey, USA',
'name': 'Unnamed municipal water system 1',
'type': 'Water utility'},
{'industry': 'Critical Infrastructure',
'location': 'New Jersey, USA',
'name': 'Unnamed municipal water system 2',
'type': 'Water utility'}],
'attack_vector': 'Exploitation of vulnerabilities in widely used utility '
'software',
'date_detected': 'last week',
'description': 'New Jersey officials confirmed that two unnamed municipal '
'water systems in the state were targeted in cyberattacks last '
'week, with Iran identified as the prime suspect. The '
'incidents disrupted automated monitoring systems, forcing '
'operators to switch to manual controls. While service '
'remained uninterrupted and no customers lost access to safe '
'drinking water, the attacks exposed vulnerabilities in '
'internet-exposed control systems.',
'impact': {'operational_impact': 'Forced switch to manual controls',
'systems_affected': 'Automated monitoring systems'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': 'Patch released for the '
'exploited software',
'root_causes': 'Vulnerabilities in '
'internet-exposed control systems '
'and widely used utility software'},
'references': [{'source': 'New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications '
'Integration Cell (NJCCIC)'}],
'response': {'law_enforcement_notified': 'Yes',
'remediation_measures': 'Patch released for the exploited '
'software',
'third_party_assistance': 'FBI, CISA'},
'threat_actor': 'Iran',
'title': 'Iran Suspected in Cyberattacks on New Jersey Water Systems',
'type': 'Cyberattack',
'vulnerability_exploited': 'Weaknesses in internet-exposed control systems '
'and utility software'}