United States:

Cyberattacks on several local water systems in the US state of Minnesota carry telltale signs of a hacker group affiliated with Iran, US media reports say. 

Around 30 water systems were attacked Sunday and Monday using methods that have pointed investigators to a Tehran-backed group, according to the reports, which cite a security firm and US investigators.

The operation disrupted the water supply in the small town of Braham, in the greater Minneapolis area, for about two hours before service was restored.

According to cybersecurity firm Tenable, the method used in the attack “is consistent with” the CyberAv3ngers cybercriminal group, which the US government accuses of operating under Tehran’s control.

US authorities also suspect Iranian hackers, although they have not formally established responsibility at this stage.

On July 22, just days before the attack, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an advisory warning of an offensive by Iran-affiliated organizations against online control systems for infrastructure in the United States.

The FBI did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment.

In March, the Handala Hack group — also said to be operating under the Iranian government — claimed responsibility for cyberattacks against two US companies: medical equipment supplier Stryker and digital payments platform Verifone.

Stryker confirmed the incident, while Verifone denied that it had occurred.

The hackers described their actions as retaliation for the bombing of an elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, on the first day of the US-Israeli offensive against the Islamic republic on February 28.

According to the findings of an internal US military investigation revealed by the New York Times, the strike, which killed more than 150 people, appears to have resulted from incorrect coordinates used while targeting an adjacent military base.

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