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State and federal authorities continue to investigate a recent coordinated cyberattack on Minnesota municipal water systems.

Hackers disrupted technology controls at water towers and treatment plants in 

The FBI says water and wastewater sector utility companies in at least seven states have reported incidents. Some intelligence officials have told media outlets that Iran is suspected to be behind the attacks, although the federal government hasn’t officially confirmed the source.

Some experts say water infrastructure in Minnesota and across the U.S. is in danger of more attacks in the future, and funding isn’t keeping pace with the rising threats.

One of the cities hit by last week's cyberattack was Braham in east central Minnesota, which has about 1,700 residents. Hackers targeted the computerized system that controls the city's well and water treatment plant. 

An alert water plant operator noticed the problem last Monday. Since then, Mayor Nate George said the city's water treatment plant has been disconnected from the Internet to prevent more attacks.

There are two people in the public works department, George said. The city's small staff is operating the plant manually instead of remotely, “so you cannot make any changes to the plant or any treatment whatsoever unless you are physically there inside the plant,” he said.

The city is getting information from the federal government about the cyberattack and weighing its options for mitigating future risks.

But adding another staff member or new cybersecurity technology would strain the city's budget, he said. It depends heavily on state aid for local governments that George said has remained flat, even while costs rise.

"It's not a question of we want to be fancy with new technology,” he said. “How do we continue to afford to provide the basic services that we're required to provide, while still being compliant with state or federal law?"

Cities across Minnesota and the U.S. are dealing with increasingly complex threats to their water infrastructure, even as funding support has lagged.

Managing today's water systems requires a high level of expertise — not just in engineering, but in technology, said Bonnie Keeler, who directs the Water Resources Center at the University of Minnesota. 

Those systems include high-capacity wells with sophisticated pumping systems, tanks, water towers and a complex network of pipes and pumps, Keeler said.

“Every piece of that infrastructure has its own IT system, its own sensor network, its own monitoring system,” she said.

Historically, water infrastructure has been underfunded, Keeler said, so many cities lack the resources to constantly update their computing systems to keep up with rapidly changing cyberthreats.

Many cities are also faced with an aging workforce, competition for IT and engineering talent and cuts in federal funding, Keeler said.

"So to add on cybersecurity concerns on top of what already is aging infrastructure that suffered from decades of disinvestment is certainly a lot to put onto municipalities,” she said. 

The challenges extend beyond Minnesota. Although the U.S. water sector is considered critical infrastructure, it's fragmented across tens of thousands of local public works departments.

They’re often underfunded and staffed by water engineers rather than cybersecurity professionals, said Carole House, a former National Security Council special advisor for cybersecurity and critical infrastructure policy under the Biden administration.

"A lot of attackers can take the path of least resistance in targeting this really high-value sector and deliver maximum civilian disruption for minimal effort, given the current state of security across the water sector,” House said.

She also worries that the nation's water systems are now more vulnerable after recent funding cuts at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.

The latest attack is likely to prompt calls and legislation to increase funding to make sure the nation's water systems are secure.

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Kirsti Marohn

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Some experts say water infrastructure in Minnesota and across the nation is in danger of more attacks in the future, amid increased threats and insufficient funding.

Cyberattacks in Minnesota expose vulnerability of U.S. water systems

A water tower with the name "Braham" painted on it

Cyberattacks in Minnesota expose vulnerability of U.S. water systems

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