• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Vigilant News

Vigilant News

Eternal Vigilance is the price of liberty.

  • News
  • Rumble
  • Substack
  • Truth Social
  • X (Twitter)
  • Telegram

Federal Agencies Report Breaches by Iranian Hackers, Numerous U.S. States Affected

By Ryan Delarme, December 5, 2023

According to U.S. and Israeli authorities, numerous organizations in the United States were compromised by Iran-affiliated hackers who targeted an Israeli-made industrial control device. A minor water authority in western Pennsylvania was among the many organizations compromised.

“The victims span multiple U.S. states,” an advisory emailed to The Associated Press late Friday by the FBI, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Israel’s National Cyber Directorate.

The number of compromised organizations was not specified, and no other details were provided.

Federal officials informed Matthew Mottes, chairman of the Municipal Water Authority of Aliquippa, which discovered it had been infiltrated on November 25, that the same group also compromised four other utilities and an aquarium, on Thursday.

Even though there is no evidence linking Iran to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas, which instigated the conflict in Gaza, cybersecurity experts anticipate that pro-Palestinian hacktivists and Iranian-backed hackers will intensify cyberattacks against Israel and its allies in the wake of the incident. Indeed, that has occurred.

The multiagency advisory provided information that CISA did not have when it confirmed the Pennsylvania breach on Wednesday: that vulnerable Vision Series programmable logic controllers manufactured by Unitronics are utilized in industries other than water and water treatment facilities.

These sectors include “energy, food and beverage manufacturing, and healthcare,” according to the advisory. The apparatus controls various processes, such as the discharge of fluids, temperature, and pressure.

Crews were compelled to transition to manual operation after the Aliquippa hack prompted employees to temporarily cease pumping at a remote station that regulates water pressure for two neighboring towns. On the compromised device, the hackers left a digital calling card that stated “any Israeli-made equipment is a legal target.”

According to the multiagency advisory, it remained uncertain whether the hackers attempted to further infiltrate the compromised networks. They were granted access that facilitated “more profound cyberphysical effects on processes and equipment,” according to the document.

The hackers, who identify as “Cyber Av3ngers,” are reportedly affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of Iran, a foreign terrorist organization designated by the United States in 2019. The group has reportedly been targeting Unitronics devices since at least November 22.

An online search conducted on the engine Shodan on Saturday uncovered over 200 internet-connected devices in the United States and over 1,700 worldwide.

The advisory notes that Unitronics devices are shipped with a default password, which is discouraged by experts due to the increased susceptibility to malware. In accordance with established guidelines, devices need to have an initial password that is distinct from the rest. It is assumed that the compromised devices were accessed by the hackers through “exploitation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities, such as inadequate password protection and internet connectivity.”

According to authorities, a considerable number of water utilities have neglected cybersecurity.

In response to the Aliquippa hack, three Pennsylvania congressmen asked the U.S. Justice Department in a letter to investigate. Americans must know their drinking water and other basic infrastructure is safe from “nation-state adversaries and terrorist organizations,” U.S. Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey and U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio said. Cyber Av3ngers claimed in an Oct. 30 social media post to have hacked 10 water treatment stations in Israel, though it is not clear if they shut down any equipment.

According to Sergey Shykevich of Check Point, the organization has escalated and broadened its focus on Israeli critical infrastructure since the inception of the Israel-Hamas conflict. Before the events of October 7, Iran and Israel were involved in a low-level cyberconflict. The AP has not received a response from Unitronics regarding the breaches.

A federal appeals court decision prompted the EPA to rescind a rule that would have required U.S. public water systems to conduct cybersecurity testing as part of their routine federally mandated audits. The attack occurred less than one month later. A federal appeals court decision in a case filed by Missouri, Arkansas, and Iowa, with the support of a water utility trade group, instigated the reversal.

 

Ryan Delarme

Ryan DeLarme is an American journalist navigating a labyrinth of political corruption, overreaching corporate influence, a burgeoning censorship-industrial complex, compromised media, and the planned destruction of our constitutional republic. He writes for Badlands Media and is also a Host and Founder at Vigilant News. Additionally, his writing has been featured in American Thinker, the Post-Liberal, Winter Watch, Underground Newswire, and Stillness in the Storm. He’s also writes for alt-media streaming platforms Dauntless Dialogue and Rise.tv. Ryan enjoys gardening, kung fu, creative writing and fighting to SAVE AMERICA

Filed Under: News, Ryan DeLarme Tagged With: Cyberattack, Cyberwarfare, Hackers, Iran, Technology

You may also like

Opinion: The American Bankers Association Announce Seminar on ‘Domestic Terrorism’ While Ignoring Other Issues, Because YOU are the Real Danger Vigilant News 10.2.23 Jamall Bowman Fail, Trudeau to Regulate Podcasts, Trump Corp. Death Penalty Badlands Media All Day Midterm Stream Trump Reveals in NY Mag Interview: “I’ve already made that decision,” about 2024 Presidential Bid

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Latest Video

SEARCH OUR ARCHIVES

Newsletter Signup

Freedom prospers with real news. 

You can unsubscribe anytime.

Thank you!

You have successfully joined our subscriber list.

.

Memetics

Pine Needle Extract by Ascent Nutrition

New Posts

Vigilant News 9.23.24 P Diddy Suicide Watch, Corruption of Faith, Fed Rate Cut, Sovereign Law Intro
Vigilant News 9.23.24 P Diddy Suicide Watch, Corruption of Faith, Fed Rate Cut, Sovereign Law Intro
8 months ago / Uncategorized
Vigilant News 9.16.24 Trump’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Will Transform Life in the US and the World
Vigilant News 9.16.24 Trump’s Sovereign Wealth Fund Will Transform Life in the US and the World
8 months ago / Uncategorized
Vigilant News 9.09.24 Telegram, Putin, & Intel Agency Games of Control | Mike Benz & Tucker Part 2
Vigilant News 9.09.24 Telegram, Putin, & Intel Agency Games of Control | Mike Benz & Tucker Part 2
8 months ago / Uncategorized
Vigilant News 9.02.24 Weaponized Free Speech & Censorship | Mike Benz & Tucker Part 1
Vigilant News 9.02.24 Weaponized Free Speech & Censorship | Mike Benz & Tucker Part 1
8 months ago / Uncategorized
Vigilant News 8.26.26: Agenda 47 Explained, Life Update, News Round Up
Vigilant News 8.26.26: Agenda 47 Explained, Life Update, News Round Up
9 months ago / Uncategorized
Vigilant News 8.5.24 Market Crash: Is this the beginning of the Great Reset or the Great Awakening?
Vigilant News 8.5.24 Market Crash: Is this the beginning of the Great Reset or the Great Awakening?
9 months ago / Uncategorized
Vigilant News 7.22.24 Deep State Preps for Biden’s Death, Who is JD Vance? Cheatle Hearing
Vigilant News 7.22.24 Deep State Preps for Biden’s Death, Who is JD Vance? Cheatle Hearing
10 months ago / Uncategorized

Thanks for your support

Footer

Menu

  • News
  • Privacy Policy
  • About us
  • Contact us

Tags

aflds Ben Bartee Biden Biden Administration Bill Gates CDC China Climate Change Congress DOJ Donald Trump Economy Elections FBI Finance GOP Hillary Clinton Hunter Biden Inflation Israel J6 Jan 6th Committee Jim Jordan Joe Biden John Durham Justin DesChamps Law Liz Cheney memes Michael Sussmann Midterms MSM news Polls Russia SCOTUS trump Twitter Ukraine vigilant news show War WEF WHO why we fight World Economic Forum

Copyright © 2025 · vigilant.news

Notifications