American Water, based in Camden, NJ, was recently hit with a significant cyberattack. Billing operations have been paused while the nation's largest water utility attempts to respond. October 8, 2024.
© Courier-Post photo by Jim Walsh / © Allan Jung/Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK
(Camden, NJ) – The nation’s largest water utility — based in New Jersey — says it is taking immediate protective steps after being hit by a cyberattack. American Water, which is headquartered in Camden, says it first became aware of the issue last Thursday.
American Water provides services to more than 14 million people — spanning 14 states and 18 military installations. Its clients are located in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia — but also in West Virginia, California, Hawaii, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri, and Tennessee.
The FBI has is investigating the situation. Meanwhile, American Water has paused all of its billing operations. In the past, cyberattacks of this nature have led to customer information being exposed. Information like account numbers, social security numbers, and even credit card information could potentially have been compromised.
Founded in 1886, American Water has been headquartered in Camden since 2018. The bulk of its services include locally-managed utility subsidiaries that are managed by various states, in terms of where those operations are located. The firm also has a series of drinking water and waste water systems under contract.
