American Water Details

    Organization Logo

    American Water

    Camden, New Jersey • 6700 employees • Energy and Utilities

    https://www.amwater.com
    United States

    Industry

    Energy and Utilities

    Security Incidents

    1

    American Water is an American public utility company focused on providing drinking water and wastewater management services. Founded in 1886, the company has grown to become one of the largest and most geographically diverse water utilities in the United States. Headquartered in Camden, New Jersey, American Water serves millions of people across numerous states, handling the collection, transportation, and treatment of wastewater, alongside its primary service of delivering clean, safe drinking water.

    Throughout its history, American Water has achieved several notable milestones, such as its ...
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    Security Incidents

    American Water Breach of Oct 2024
    Severity Score
    Significant

    Type

    Ransomware Attack

    Summary

    On October 3, 2024, American Water, the largest regulated water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., detected unauthorized access to its computer networks, leading to a cyber incident. In response, the company swiftly activated its incident response protocols, involving third-party cybersecurity experts, and coordinated with law enforcement to contain and mitigate the breach. As part of their defensive measures, American Water disconnected and deactivated certain systems, including its MyWater app used for billing, to safeguard customer data and protect critical systems.

    Despite the di...
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    Severity

    The cyberattack on American Water, the largest publicly traded water and wastewater utility company in the US, disrupted the company's online systems and led to the temporary shutdown of the MyWater app and billing processes. While the attack did not negatively impact its water and wastewater facilities, the possibility of a data breach affecting up to 14 million customers added a concerning dimension to the incident. Despite the attack's broad reach, the company reported no critical operational disruptions in their service, suggesting effective incident management and network segmentation pra...
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    Impact

    American Water, a major U.S. water and wastewater service provider, recently experienced a cyber incident which led to the temporary shutdown of some of its systems, including the MyWater customer portal. This response was part of an effort to isolate the breach and protect both customer and operational data. As a measure of damage control, the company suspended billing activities and paused elements like MyWater access to prevent further intrusions.

    While there were initial concerns about the incident being a ransomware attack, American Water's water and wastewater facilities and operations ...
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