American Water Reports Cyber ​​Incident; Close the customer portal

New Jersey-based American Water, which manages water treatment, transportation, wells and other water facilities for 14 states, reported a cyber incident. The company disabled its customer portal, MyWater, as a precaution, but does not believe any of its water or wastewater facilities or operations have been adversely affected by the incident.

The company said the water is potable.

According to its report, American Water became aware of unauthorized activity on its networks and computer systems on October 3, 2024.

Upon learning of the issue, the company said it immediately activated its incident response protocols and engaged third-party cybersecurity professionals to help contain, mitigate, and investigate the nature and scope of the incident. The company also notified the law enforcement officers.

Taking the MyWater portal offline means the company is suspending billing until further notice and working to bring these systems back online. There will be no late fees or service interruptions while MyWater is unavailable.

The company said the investigation is ongoing and will take time to complete. It said it is taking additional steps to strengthen its cyber security.

American Water operates as regulated utilities in approximately 1,700 communities in 14 states. Its primary operating assets include approximately:

• 80 surface water treatment plants
• 540 groundwater treatment plants
• 175 wastewater treatment stations
• 53,700 miles of transmission, distribution and collection pipelines and pipelines
• 1,200 underground water wells
• 1,700 water and sewage pumping stations
• 1,100 treated water storage facilities
• 74 dams

It operates in the states of New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Hawaii and California.

TOPICS
Cyber ​​Trends