American Water, the Largest US Water Utility, Targeted in Cyberattack
American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility in the United States, announced that it has fallen victim to a cyberattack, resulting in the temporary suspension of customer billing services.
Headquartered in New Jersey, American Water serves over 14 million customers across 14 states and 18 military installations. The company became aware of the unauthorized activity on Thursday and took immediate protective measures, including shutting down certain systems. According to the utility, it does not believe that its facilities or operations were directly affected by the cyberattack but is still assessing the full impact of the incident.
An American Water spokesperson stated that the company is working “around the clock” to investigate the situation and ensure the protection of customer data. The firm has also notified law enforcement and is cooperating with ongoing investigations. As a result of the system shutdowns, American Water has assured customers that they will not incur late fees during the billing suspension.
American Water manages more than 500 water and wastewater systems across approximately 1,700 communities in states including California, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Following the announcement, the company’s shares declined by $5.58, or 3.9%, closing at $136.99, which gives it a market capitalization of $26.69 billion.
With input from the Associated Press, ABC News, and CBS News.
