After the Minnesota Water System Cyberattacks: Why Every Count of Exposed Rockwell PLCs Differs
Brief
By Adrian Cheek, Senior Cybercrime Researcher
Late July, attackers targeted operational technology at more than 30 community water systems across Minnesota. In Braham, attackers disabled computerized controls and briefly shut down the city’s well and water treatment plant. In Plymouth, cellular communications failed at two water towers and multiple wastewater lift stations.
Days later on July 30, 2026, CISA urged the Water and Wastewater Systems Sector to protect operational technology against activity targeting programmable logic controllers (PLCs). A joint FBI and EPA public service announcement named Rockwell Automation and Allen-Bradley MicroLogix 1100 and 1400 series controllers and recorded utilities in at least seven states reporting incidents since July 27.