Foreign Hackers Breach Two Colorado Water Utilities

Foreign actors breached two privately owned Colorado water utilities in late August. Each serves fewer than 200 people. Hackers changed equipment settings, disabled remote access and alarms, and altered pumping cycles before operators regained control. Eric Maruyama said these were brief incidents and the risks were quickly addressed by the providers themselves, who subsequently alerted the state. A Polis spokesperson said treatment processes and water quality were not impacted. Ally Sullivan said, "We cannot confirm what foreign actors may have been involved," noting federal tracking of Iranian-backed efforts against U.S. water systems. State health officials offered technical assistance and alerted other Colorado providers. Coverage cites July FBI and EPA warnings of incidents in at least seven states, EPA reports of over 100 cyberattacks across 12 states this year, and Minnesota attacks on more than 30 community water systems. On the Minnesota attacks, President Donald Trump said in a Cabinet meeting, "They blame it on Iran. I don't think so," blaming Minnesota officials. Colorado officials have not identified the attackers or linked the breaches to a broader campaign. An August federal advisory warned of an active cyber threat to another family of industrial controllers. Contested: no contested claims found