American Water Cyberattack Sparks Infrastructure Concerns

American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the U.S., has been hit by a cyberattack, leading to the disconnection of certain systems to protect customer data. The attack, detected on October 3, prompted the company to pause its billing operations and notify law enforcement as it works with third-party cybersecurity experts to investigate. Although the utility, which serves over 14 million people across 14 states and 18 military installations, believes its water and wastewater facilities remain unaffected, it cannot predict the complete impact of the breach. The company has assured customers that no late charges will be incurred while systems are offline and continues to focus on restoring services safely. This incident occurs amid broader concerns about state-sponsored cyber threats targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including recent activities attributed to Chinese intelligence. American Water has been cooperating with law enforcement as part of its efforts to address the situation.