Iran may be attempting cyberattacks on US water infrastructure, the Biden administration warned state governors Tuesday, in yet another sign that US deterrence is inadequate to limit the Iranian regime's aggression beyond its borders.
In a letter bearing the names of National Security adviser Jake Sullivan and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan asked governors to help the administration take measures to “secure water systems against the increasing risks from and consequences of these attacks.”
In the past few years, Iran has grown more aggressive in its relations with the United States, targeting American forces and bases through its proxies in the Middle East, and even plotting to assassinate former US officials on American soil.
Targeting water infrastructure is perhaps more brazen than all other actions, as it affects not just the armed forces or politicians, but ordinary Americans.
"Disabling cyberattacks are striking water and wastewater systems throughout the United States,” Sullivan and Regan wrote. “These attacks have the potential to disrupt the critical lifeline of clean and safe drinking water, as well as impose significant costs on affected communities."
The warning letter –made public Tuesday– may suggest that the administration perceives the threat to be serious and substantive. Hackers associated with Iran and China have already attacked water systems, according to Sullivan and Regan
The letter notes that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) “has targeted and disabled a common type of operational technology used at water facilities where the facility had neglected to change a default manufacturer password."
The letter doesn’t have much more on the specifics of those attacks, not even their nature . But it does offer an overview of the relationship between the Biden administration and the Iranian regime, which seems to be emboldened enough to attempt such an attack, potentially harming a large number of Americans on American soil.
"Drinking water and wastewater systems are a lifeline for communities, but many systems have not adopted important cybersecurity practices to thwart potential cyberattacks," Regan said in a press release announcing a virtual meeting on the subject for Thursday.
“We need your support to ensure that all water systems in your state comprehensively assess their current cyber security practices to identify any significant vulnerabilities,” Sullivan and Regan wrote in their letter to state governors.
They also demanded each state to exercise plans to prepare and recover from a potential cyber incident. The water system in the US is known to be vulnerable, lacking proper funding and facing staffing shortages.
According to Bloomberg, hackers related to the Iranian regime attacked Israeli-made digital controls in the water industries in the US last November, affecting several states without affecting water supply.
Many in Washington blame the Biden administration for not confronting Iran in a meaningful way that would establish deterrence. President Biden and his team have made it clear on several occasions, however, that they don’t want escalation with Iran, allowing the IRGC and its regional allies to plot with not much to fear.
It remains to be seen how this policy changes –if at all– during the 2024 presidential campaign and afterwards.