An Iranian hacking group has threatened that Americans will soon face “unexpected and critical” cyberattacks targeting the nation’s energy, water and telecommunications infrastructure, according to a report.
APT Iran issued the warning Sunday in a statement posted to Telegram, NBC News reported. The group’s threat came just days after the United States renewed military strikes against Iran.
“Soon, the United States will witness unexpected and critical events in the energy, water, and telecommunications industries,” APT Iran wrote, according to NBC.
The ominous warning follows a series of cyberattacks directed at water systems across seven American states in recent weeks.
Sources told NBC News that none of the attempted cyberattacks have been successful so far. The attacks reportedly focused on automated systems connected to the internet.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly known as CISA, had warned shortly before the July attacks that Iranian hackers were looking at American water systems as potential targets.
According to NBC, the hackers were attempting to gain access to internet-connected devices used by utilities to operate and manage their systems.
CISA said the hackers targeted more than 100 water and wastewater facilities. The federal cybersecurity agency issued another advisory on Aug. 21 urging infrastructure organizations to strengthen their defenses against possible attacks.
CISA did not respond to NBC News’ request for comment about the latest threat from APT Iran.
The White House directed questions about the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to the report. The FBI did not respond to NBC’s request for comment, while the Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment.
The warning comes as hostilities between the United States and Iran have intensified once again, only days after the conflict reached the six-month mark.
The latest American military operation struck targets connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps inside the country.
U.S. Central Command said the strikes followed recent attempts by the IRGC to target commercial shipping traveling through the Strait of Hormuz and to attack American service members.
CENTCOM announced the strikes in a statement posted to social media.
The conflict began on Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel launched joint airstrikes against Iran.
The hacking group’s latest message specifically identified three major sectors — energy, water and telecommunications — as potential targets for future operations.
The threat comes after hackers had already attempted to compromise automated equipment used within American infrastructure. Although none of those attempts succeeded, federal officials have urged operators to protect internet-linked systems that could potentially be infiltrated.
The attacks against water and wastewater organizations have placed a particular focus on the devices utilities rely upon to control their operations.
APT Iran’s Telegram statement did not provide additional details about the timing or precise nature of the threatened attacks, according to the information reported by NBC.
Federal agencies also provided no public confirmation of any successful intrusion tied to the group’s warning.
For now, the threatened cyberattacks remain unsuccessful, but CISA’s advisories have urged infrastructure operators to take steps to improve their security as the military confrontation between Washington and Tehran continues.
