CALIFORNIA Water Service (Cal Water) investigated a claimed cyberattack by the Iranian hacker group Handala and found no evidence of impact on its operational technology. Handala, believed to be linked to Iranian government actions, alleged access to Cal Water systems but did not compromise significant systems. They leaked 5 GB of data containing personal information, although no financial data was accessed.
Mandiant, the cybersecurity team assisting Cal Water, confirmed the breach was limited to unauthorized access of accounts and a third-party GPS tool. The investigation highlighted ongoing cybersecurity challenges in the water sector.