Utilities General Manager Jim Ankrum said the Tipton West Wastewater Treatment Plant was the target of a cyberattack on Friday night, April 19th.
TIPTON, Ind. — Russian hackers are claiming responsibility for a cybersecurity attack on Tipton's wastewater treatment plant. The Tipton Municipal Utility Company says its water supply was never compromised.
Utilities General Manager Jim Ankrum said the Tipton West Wastewater Treatment Plant was the target of a cyberattack on Friday night, April 19th. However, Ankrum said the attack caused minimal disruption to the facility's operations.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management released the following statement regarding the incident:
“Last weekend, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was notified of a potential cybersecurity breach at the Tipton West Wastewater Treatment Plant.Facility staff has identified irregularities through standard process monitoring of plant operations. Facility staff quickly transitioned operations to manual control during the emergency.
The wastewater treatment system did not experience any treatment problems. Additionally, Tipton's main treatment and drinking water facilities were not affected.
IDEM commends plant management for their quick work to ensure the safety of the facility and continue safe operations.
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management is in regular contact with the Indiana Department of Homeland Security and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to develop collaborative and strategic initiatives to protect public water supplies and other existing infrastructure. We are continuing our efforts.
State and federal agencies continue to monitor the cybersecurity threat landscape and provide plant operators with best practices information to ensure protection against external interference. ”
Social media posts from the Russian People's Cyber Army claimed responsibility for the attack and hinted at further action against the Indiana power company.
“Wow! It's here in Tipton more than anywhere else. It's crazy,” said Connie McClellan as she picked up her food at an ice cream shop in Antarctica.
South Pole scoops ice cream in 32 flavors and is known for its homemade coney sauce. We use plenty of Tipton water in everything from the ice in our drinks to the filtered water we use to soak our ice cream scoops.
Chloe Block, who works at the South Pole, said: “I couldn't believe it when I heard about it. No one even knows about Tipton on the map, so when you hear something like that is happening… , I'm really surprised.”
“There's always going to be people trying to use technology in the wrong way to hurt you, and that's the way it is,” said Tom Stacey, another Tipton resident.
The incident is currently under investigation and has been referred to the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) by Tipton Municipal Power Company. A message from that agency referred my question back to the utility company.
The White House issued a warning last month that local water systems are extremely vulnerable to cyberattacks.
