US Authorities Warn of Iranian Hackers Targeting Critical Infrastructure
On April 7, 2026, several U.S. government agencies issued a joint warning about Iranian-backed hacker groups escalating their tactics to sabotage critical U.S. infrastructure systems. The primary targets include sectors essential to daily life, such as water supply, wastewater treatment plants, energy facilities, and local government facilities. These attacks exploit vulnerabilities in Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and SCADA systems, particularly those from Rockwell Automation/Allen-Bradley. The Iranian government-backed group 'Handala' has been identified as a key perpetrator, having infiltrated networks of major companies like Stryker to erase data remotely. The hackers are reportedly using legitimate engineering software to gain access and have installed SSH software to maintain remote control.