Cyber Activity Reported at Michigan Water Systems After Minnesota Disruptions

WASHINGTON: Authorities in Michigan have reported cyber activity affecting several water facilities, following similar incidents involving water supply systems in Minnesota and other parts of the United States.

A spokesperson for Michigan’s environmental agency said the state had received several reports from areas showing activity similar to the incidents described by federal authorities.

The spokesperson said all affected systems remained safe and operational, with local operators resolving the reported problems. No known effects currently pose a threat to public health, the official added.

The FBI previously said water and wastewater utilities in at least seven states had reported cyber incidents, some of which disrupted operations at water facilities.

According to the bureau, the attackers remotely accessed internet-connected devices and changed their IP addresses and passwords. The changes caused operators to lose some monitoring and control functions.

The FBI has not confirmed whether Iran was responsible for the attacks.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has separately warned of cyber activity carried out by individuals linked to Iran. The agency said potential targets include government services, public utilities, water and wastewater systems, and the energy sector.

Media reports said dozens of water supply systems in Minnesota were targeted during the past week, forcing at least one system to shut down temporarily.

The Washington Post reported that intelligence assessments pointed to the possible involvement of Iranian hackers, while The New York Times cited investigators examining the same possibility.

Both reports relied on unnamed U.S. officials and stressed that the findings were not yet final.

President Donald Trump, however, suggested that Iran might not have been responsible. He instead blamed what he described as the incompetence of Minnesota’s Democratic governor, Tim Walz.

Senior Democratic officials in the state rejected Trump’s accusations, saying they were unsupported by evidence.

Walz said Trump knew who was responsible for the attack and was aware that other states had also been targeted. He described the incidents as an example of modern warfare and argued that they showed the administration lacked a clear plan for handling its confrontation with Iran.