Iranian-Linked Hackers Didn’t Breach CalWater Billing System, Company Says

California Water Service’s billing systems for customers in Bakersfield, Visalia and Chico were not breached through a cyber attack by an Iranian-linked group, according to a corporate spokesperson.

“Our investigation remains ongoing, but our preliminary findings continue to indicate that there are no known operational disruptions to our water and wastewater systems, including the billing platform,” wrote Yvonne Kingman in an email to SJV Water on Monday.

Kingman was following up to questions from SJV Water after an Iranian-linked hacker group called Handala, claimed on Thursday to have breached several water systems in California, specifically in Bakersfield, Visalia and Chico. The group showed screenshots of what it said were residents’ bills from CalWater and claimed to have five gigabytes of data from the alleged breach on its website, according to Iranian news network Press TV.

In a statement carried by Iran’s state broadcaster, Handala said it could disrupt the water systems if it chose to but had refrained from doing so as a “warning” to Washington, D.C.

Alleged Hack Was Retaliation for US Air Strikes in Iran

The alleged hack was in retaliation for U.S. strikes that may have damaged two water storage facilities in southern Iran near the strait of Hormuz.

Kingman said Friday that CalWater’s production and distribution systems were not breached and updated SJV Water Monday that the billing system was secure as well.

“We take cybersecurity and this claim very seriously and are working around the clock to investigate,” Kingman wrote in the email. “We have been working in close collaboration with our state and federal government partners, as well as independent leading external experts.”

Several cyber security experts were quoted on the website Security Friday as saying that Handala may have reached an internal GPS (global positioning system) and a customer billing system of the water company but that an AI tool called Dataminr showed systems controlling water treatment and distribution were not affected.

Kingman said with the investigation still ongoing she did not yet have information about whether CalWater’s GPS was breached.

About the Reporter

SJV Water CEO and editor Lois Henry has spent 30 years covering the San Joaquin Valley.

About SJV Water

SJV Water is an independent, nonprofit news site covering water in the San Joaquin Valley, www.sjvwater.org. Email us at sjvwater@sjvwater.org

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