Connecticut Warns Water Utilities of Cyberattack Risks Following Incidents in Other States
Connecticut state officials have issued warnings to water utilities across the state regarding potential cyberattacks, following recent incidents that disrupted water systems in at least seven other U.S. states. The Connecticut Intelligence Center (CTIC) quickly disseminated information about affected equipment and suspicious internet addresses, along with recommended protections, after federal authorities identified the latest threat. While no Connecticut water system has reported attempted or successful attacks, the state does not maintain a centralized inventory of equipment used by its 2,387 public water systems, making it difficult to ascertain how many use the specific equipment targeted in the recent attacks. The attacks primarily involved remotely accessing internet-facing Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 and 1400 programmable logic controllers (PLCs), changing their internet addresses and passwords, and causing operators to lose monitoring or control capabilities. These incide...