The Municipal Water Authority in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, has reported their water system was hacked by an Iranian-backed cyber group on Saturday.
Mathew Mottes, the chairman of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, stated that the cyber group called Cyber Av3ngers hacked one of their booster stations.
Penn Live reported the cyber hackers were able to “shut down a pump on a supply line that provides drinking water from the Aliquippa Municipal Water Authority’s treatment plant to Raccoon and Potter townships in Beaver County.”
One of the hacked monitors displayed a message which read, “You have been hacked. Down with Israel. Every equipment ‘made with Israel’ is Cyber Av3ngers legal target.”
Authorities in Pennsylvania have told residents that the water is safe to drink and reassured the hackers could not get access to anything in the water treatment plant.
Iranian hackers hit Pittsburgh. PA area water plant. https://t.co/mmf2NLxcZZ
— Dave Bondy (@DaveBondyTV) November 27, 2023
Per CBS:
The Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa said on Saturday that one of their booster stations had been hacked by an Iranian-backed cyber group.
Matthew Mottes, the chairman of the board of directors for the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, confirmed to KDKA-TV that the cyber group, known as Cyber Av3ngers, took control of one of the stations. An alarm went off as soon as the hack had occurred.
Mottes added that the station, located on the outskirts of town, monitors and regulates pressure for Raccoon and Potter Townships and stressed that there is no known risk to the drinking water or water supply.
The machine that was hacked uses a system called Unitronics, which Mottes says is software or has components that are Israeli-owned.
U.S. Representative Chris Deluzio (D-PA), in a post on Facebook, said, “I am closely monitoring this cyberattack on the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa. My office is in touch with leadership, which reports that there has been no loss of water service for folks.”
He continued, “Federal officials are assisting the investigation, and I remain ready to help with federal agencies.
Attacks on our critical infrastructure like water are unacceptable.”
Federal officials are assisting the investigation, and I remain ready to help with federal agencies.
Attacks on our critical infrastructure like water are unacceptable.
— Congressman Chris Deluzio (@RepDeluzio) November 26, 2023
