Iran-linked hackers sabotage US energy and water infrastructure

As president of the United States Donald Trump Threatening to comprehensively demolish Iranian infrastructure in the midst of the escalating war, Iran It now appears to have already reciprocated with its own form of infrastructure sabotage: a hacking campaign that hit industrial control systems across the US, including power and water utilities, which US agencies say has had devastating and costly effects.

In a Joint consulting A group of US agencies, including the FBI, the National Security Agency, the Department of Energy and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warned on Tuesday that a group of Iranian government hackers targeted industrial control devices used in a series of critical infrastructure targets including the energy sector, water and wastewater facilities and unspecified “government facilities.” According to the agencies, hackers targeted programmable logic controllers (PLCs) — a type of device designed to allow digital control of physical machines — at those facilities, including those sold by industrial technology company Rockwell Automation, with the express goal of sabotaging their systems.

The advisory warns that, by infiltrating these public limited companies, hackers sought to change information on the screens of industrial control systems, which in some scenarios could cause system downtime, damage, or even dangerous conditions. “In a few cases, this activity has resulted in disruption of operations and financial loss,” the report said.

When WIRED reached out to Rockwell Automation, a company spokesperson responded in a statement that it “takes seriously the security of its products and solutions and is coordinating closely with government agencies regarding” Tuesday’s warning, noting Documents She has published to customers on how to better secure their PLCs.

Although the warning does not identify a specific group responsible for the hacking campaign, it notes that the attacks are similar to those carried out by the Iran-linked group. Known as CyberAv3ngersOr the Shahid Cafe Group, starting in late 2023. This team of hackers, believed to be in the service of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, has carried out several waves of attacks against Israeli and American targets in recent years, including accessing more than a hundred devices sold by the industrial control systems technology company Unitronics and most commonly used in water and wastewater facilities.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.