American Water Disconnects Systems After Hacker Intrusion, Warns of Billing Outages
Hackers have breached the internal networks of American Water, the largest publicly tradedwater and wastewater utility in the United States, leading the company to disconnect some of its systems and warn of potential billing disruptions.
The New Jersey-based company, whichprovides services to over 14 million people across the country, confirmed the security incident in an 8-K regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and ExchangeCommission on Monday.
While American Water assures that its water and wastewater facilities are currently operating without interruption, the company acknowledged that it is unable to predict the full impact of this incident. The company is currently investigating the extent of thebreach and its potential consequences.
The incident, which involved unauthorized activity within American Water’s networks, has prompted the company to take immediate action to mitigate the impact. This includes disconnecting certain systems, which could lead to disruptionsin billing services.
The company has notified law enforcement of the intrusion and is working with cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident and restore affected systems.
This incident highlights the increasing vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyberattacks. Water utilities, like other essential services, are increasingly targeted by hackers who seek to disruptoperations and potentially compromise sensitive data.
The incident also raises concerns about the potential impact on customers. While American Water assures that water service remains uninterrupted, the potential for billing disruptions could cause inconvenience and financial hardship for customers.
The company is urging customers to stay informed about the situation through official channels andto report any suspicious activity.
This is a developing story. We will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.
References:
- American Water 8-K Filing: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1410636/000119312524233300/d869346d8k.htm?7194ef805fa2d04b0f7e8c9521f97343
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