Russia-linked group claimed cyberattack on Tipton, Indiana wastewater plant
- Organization
- Tipton Municipal Utilities
- Exploit
- Hacking
- Industry
- Water Utility
Tipton Municipal Utilities, which serves roughly 5,000 people in Tipton, Indiana, about 40 miles north of Indianapolis, reported disruption at its West wastewater treatment plant on the evening of Friday, April 19, 2024. Further interruptions occurred on the Sunday morning.
Over that weekend a pro-Russia hacktivist group calling itself the Cyber Army of Russia, also styled the People's Cyber Army, posted video to Telegram purporting to show its members interacting with the plant's systems. The group framed the operation as part of a continuing campaign against US infrastructure.
General manager Jim Ankrum said the utility experienced minimal disruption, remained operational at all times and that drinking water was never in jeopardy. He said the utility would review its security measures and identify vulnerabilities once the investigation closed. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency led that investigation.
The claim came days after Mandiant published research linking the same group to Sandworm, a Russian state-affiliated actor, and to a January 2024 attack on a water facility in Muleshoe, Texas, that caused a tank to overflow.