US authorities have warned that AI-assisted cyberattacks are now targeting critical infrastructure including water and wastewater systems, power plants and chemical factories. Hackers are using AI to generate attack scripts and exploit vulnerabilities in aging industrial control systems exposed to the internet — raising fears that successful intrusions could disrupt water supplies, halt industrial operations and pose direct risks to public safety.
According to Newsweek, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an alert Wednesday, warning of growing cyber threats against critical infrastructure operators — including water treatment facilities, power plants and chemical factories — and urging them to strengthen their security measures.
The primary target identified in the alert is Siemens' S7-series programmable logic controllers, or PLCs. PLCs are devices that automatically control the operation of machinery and equipment at factories, power plants, and water and wastewater facilities.
Hackers have been using AI-generated attack scripts to identify vulnerabilities in Siemens PLCs and develop tools to exploit them. The use of generative AI to produce attack code has lowered the barrier to launching such attacks compared with the past, officials warned.
Particularly at risk are PLCs directly connected to the internet while running outdated software or lacking adequate security protections.
Unlike conventional corporate IT networks, industrial control systems can translate a successful cyberattack into immediate real-world consequences. CISA warned that if hackers penetrate a PLC and alter how equipment operates, they could halt industrial processes, damage machinery or even trigger safety accidents.
Water treatment facilities are considered especially vulnerable. Because equipment is often kept in service for decades and replacement costs are high, outdated control systems frequently remain in use.
If hackers gain control of a water facility's control systems, they could disrupt the purification process or cut off water supplies entirely, directly affecting residents' daily lives.
CISA recommended that critical infrastructure operators disconnect PLCs that do not require external internet access and update all related software to the latest versions. The agency also said operators should tighten access controls on industrial control systems and raise overall network security standards.
As AI becomes a more effective tool for cyberattacks, the urgency of modernizing aging systems at critical infrastructure sites is growing. While past cyberattacks focused mainly on data theft or financial damage, attacks targeting industrial control systems carry greater risks — they can directly paralyze core real-world functions such as power, water and production facilities, experts note.
sjy@heraldcorp.com
