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Report: Iranian hackers likely behind Minnesota municipal water cyberattack

Torey Van Oot

Animated illustration of a screen full of binary code that glitches to reveal "H2O" repeated in a pattern. — Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios

U.S. and state officials believe that Iranian hackers were probably behind this week's cyberattack targeting municipal water systems in Minnesota, the New York Times reports.

The big picture: The coordinated campaign underscored a growing — and concerning — trend of cyberattacks targeting state and local agencies and services.

Such an "act of aggression" from the Iranians would come at a tense point in the conflict with the U.S., the Times writes.

Catch up fast: Hackers hit dozens of water systems statewide over 48 hours, including in Plymouth, South St. Paul, Maple Plain, and Braham.

Local and state officials have said there's no indication that the water was unsafe to drink or use.

Worth noting: U.S. officials have not confirmed Iran's role in the incident, and it's possible that hackers could be posing as Iranians to further inflame tensions, the Times notes.

Minnesota IT Services said Thursday that its investigation remains active and that the state "has not attributed the activity to a specific actor" at this time.
The Times' report cites three state officials who were briefed on the investigation and granted anonymity to discuss an ongoing probe.

Editor's note: This story has been updated with a comment from Minnesota IT Services.

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Report: Iranian hackers likely behind Minnesota municipal water cyberattack

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