Cyberattack Hits American Water, Halting Billing Services

The largest U.S. water utility company is investigating a cybersecurity breach that forced the shutdown of customer service systems but did not impact water safety.

American Water detected unauthorized activity in its computer systems on October 3 and has since disconnected some systems to protect data.
The company provides water and wastewater services to over 14 million people across 14 states and 18 military installations.
Billing has been paused, and late fees are waived as the company works to restore its customer service systems.
Law enforcement and third-party cybersecurity experts are involved in the ongoing investigation.
Despite the breach, American Water reports that its water and wastewater facilities remain operational and safe.