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Iranian hackers and America’s Achilles heel on water: default passwords

Hackers tried to break into at least 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota on July 26-27, 2026. Since then, Michigan, New Jersey and several other states have reported similar cyberattacks.

The attackers did not try to infiltrate the computers that utility offices use. Instead, they tried to seize control of small computers in equipment like pumps and valves that deliver drinking water to millions of people.

The utilities countered the attacks by shutting down the control computers and sending personnel out into the field to operate equipment manually. Utility officials have said that water remained safe to drink.

As a scholar who researches cyber conflict, I find that the methods used in these incidents are typical of international cyberattacks. Initial suspicion has fallen on hackers allegedly aligned with Iran, but the U.S. government has yet to attribute the attack to anyone.

How can someone from far away seize control of a water system and possibly shut off the flow or taint the water?

Controlling the water machinery

There........

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