Indiana water plant hack admitted by Russian hackers

CNN reports that Indiana-based water and wastewater treatment plant and electricity provider Tipton Municipal Utilities has been targeted by a cyberattack on April 19 claimed by Russia-linked hacking operation CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn.

Operations at the facility continued amid minimal disruptions caused by the intrusion, according to TMU General Manager Jim Ankrum, who added that a federal investigation into the incident is already underway.

Based on a video posted by the hackers on social media, TMU had its water aeration and movement software altered as a result of the breach. However, such manipulation has been minimized as a "minor annoyance" to operators of water and wastewater plants by Infinity Squared Group CEO Ron Fabela.

Such a development comes days after CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn, which previously took responsibility for an attack against a water treatment plant in Muleshoe, Texas, had been associated by Mandiant researchers with the prolific Russian state-sponsored advanced persistent threat group Sandworm.