Rob Tornoe reports in the Philadelphia Inquirer that two southern New Jersey municipalities experienced, but were unaffected by, cyber attacks.
“Two South Jersey towns were victims of cyberattacks last week targeting the water supplies of municipalities across the country.
Officials in Cape May and Woodbine, both in Cape May County, confirmed their water systems were hacked in the early morning hours of Monday, July 27. While both systems were impacted for about 12 hours, officials say water never stopped running and remained safe to consume.
“Water treatment, water supply, and monitoring systems continue to operate safely, and routine testing confirms that the water supply remains safe,” Cape May City Manager Paul Dietrich and Woodbine Mayor William Pikolycky said in a joint statement.
Both said no personal data or customer information was compromised.”
No issues in Philadelphia
“At least seven states have been targeted in a wave of cyberattacks on water systems in the U.S., according to the FBI, but so far Pennsylvania doesn’t appear to be among them.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said there have been no reported attacks on local water systems in the commonwealth, and offered guidance to operators to help prevent future incidents.”
Who is behind the cyberattacks?
Last month, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — part of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for cybersecurity — released a joint statement with the FBI and CIA linking Iran to a broader range of cyberattacks targeting the same type of hardware hit in Cape May and Woodbine.
“Iranian cyber actors continue to target U.S. critical infrastructure, and the FBI is committed to identifying, disrupting, and imposing costs on those responsible,” Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, said in a statement.
Read the full story in the Philadelphia Inquirer here.