The attack enabling pro-Iran hackers’ direct access to US critical systems has triggered federal and state investigations into the incident. MWAA has handed the FBI a digital copy of the hacked industrial equipment and the latter is in regular touch with the utility authority.
“Attacks on our critical infrastructure like water are unacceptable,” Deluzio said in the statement. “I intend to push for a full investigation here and accountability for the attackers, and I will continue the important bipartisan work on the House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation (CITI) Subcommittee to shore up America’s defenses.”
Water system hacks are the group’s specialty
Cyber Av3ngers, which has already compromised dozens of Israeli water systems, targeted the water authority by hacking into water pressure monitoring equipment manufactured by Israel-based technology company Unitronics. Despite the attack, operations at the water authority have not been disrupted as it utilized manual tools after shutting down its automated system.
Cyber Av3ngers’ water authority breach resulted from a hack into water pressure monitoring equipment manufactured by Israel-based technology company Unitronics. This isn’t Cyber Av3ngers’ first time with water systems as they claimed responsibility for at least a dozen Israeli water treatment stations on their account on X on Oct 30, 2023.
“Once we obtained access to their network, established to manipulate, wipe and destruct all industrial equipment such as SCADA systems, PLCs, sensors and HMIs,” Cyber Av3ngers said in a post on X.
“Cyber Av3ngers is an Iran government-affiliated hacktivist group which operates for a long time on and off, along different telegram channels focusing on Israeli targets,” said Sergey Shykevich, Threat Intelligence Group Manager at Check Point Research. “The main goal of the group is information operations, while as part of it, the group mostly tries to target critical infrastructure in areas of electricity, transportation, and water supply.”
