A hack that caused a small Texas town’s water system to overflow in January has been linked to a shadowy Russian hacktivist group, the latest case of a U.S. public utility becoming a target of foreign cyberattacks.
The attack was one of three on small towns in the rural Texas Panhandle. Local officials said the public was not put in any danger and the attempts were reported to federal authorities.
“There were 37,000 attempts in four days to log into our firewall,” said Mike Cypert, city manager of Hale Center, which is home to about 2,000 residents. The attempted hack failed as the city “unplugged” the system and operated it manually, he added.
In Muleshoe, about 60 miles to the west and with a population of about 5,000, hackers caused the water system to overflow before it was shut down and taken over manually by officials, city manager Ramon Sanchez told CNN. He did not immediately respond to phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment.
An earthquake measuring 5.6 hits central Turkey. No immediate reports of casualties or damage
Retired Woman Committed to Protecting 'Mother River'
Taikonaut Wang Yaping Sets China's Record for Longest Stay in Space
Renters now pay an extra £5,993 a year in rent and energy bills compared to a decade ago
Judge denies request for Bob Baffert
Tightening Her Grip on Greatness
China Claims Women's Team Title at Asian Table Tennis Championships
China Wins Women's 4x100m Relay Gold at Asian Athletics Championships
Sluggish start for spring homebuying season as home sales fall in March with mortgage rates rising
Chinese vice premier stresses implementation of projects funded by gov't bonds
Panthers have many needs entering NFL draft, but no first
China's Chen, Lian win golds at diving World Cup in Berlin