Iranian Hackers Breach US Water, Energy PLCs, Disable Alarms

US federal agencies have issued a warning about Iranian-linked actors targeting internet-exposed water and energy control systems in the US. The advisory from CISA, FBI, NSA, and the Department of Energy indicates that these actors are gaining access to programmable logic controllers (PLCs), manipulating operational data, and potentially causing disruptions.

Notably, the hackers have been able to modify critical programming that can disable safety alarms and shutdown functions, presenting significant risks to critical infrastructure. The advisory emphasizes the importance of protecting PLCs from direct internet access and monitoring them for unauthorized changes. This aggressive tactic ties into broader geopolitical tensions and past incidents of Iranian cyber activity.