Long Island water districts pledge vigilance as Iran war raises specter of cyberattacks

The monitor displayed a foreboding message.

"You have been hacked, down with Israel," read the screen inside the offices of a water district serving 7,000 people in western Pennsylvania.

Federal authorities alleged Iranian proxies were responsible for the late 2023 cyberattack, similar to issues seen at water systems in New Jersey in recent years.

The potential risk of a cyberattack on Long Island's critical infrastructure — especially water suppliers — in the wake of the United States and Israel’s war on Iran is top of mind to state and local officials, according to interviews this week.

There are dozens of local water districts in the area, including in the Town of North Hempstead, home to the sixth-largest Iranian population in the country. Great Neck's Iranian population includes a vibrant Persian Jewish community. 

"We are actively encouraging heightened vigilance across the board," Benjamin Voce-Gardner, director of counterterrorism for the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, told Newsday in an interview.

Iranian proxies, he said, typically have tried "more low-level cyberattacks or types of disruption."

"At this moment, that’s what I expect to see the most of, if we see anything at all," Voce-Gardner said. "That may change over time as the Iranian regime starts to reconstitute itself."

The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security, which has previously released joint statements with its American counterparts, said in a guidance memo on Feb. 28 that "Iran will very likely use its cyber program to respond to the joint U.S. and Israel combat operations against Iran."

The New York State Intelligence Center is on high alert, state police spokesman Beau Duffy said, and it has been sharing intelligence with local governments and utilities "reminding them to be vigilant and follow established practices to keep critical systems secure."

Great Neck officials emphasized their readiness for any potential cyberattacks.

"When adjustments to the authority’s security posture are required," Great Neck North Water Authority Superintendent Gregory Graziano said in a statement, "protective actions are immediately implemented."

The Suffolk County Water Authority is "taking the current threat environment very seriously," spokesman Dan Dubois said in a statement.

"Since the start of the war with Iran, the Suffolk County Water Authority has remained in close coordination with our state and federal partners to monitor the evolving cybersecurity landscape," Dubois said.

James Neri, a Long Island Water Conference spokesman, said local water systems are built to have multiple failsafes. If one component is hacked, an alarm may go off and help prevent further damage. “I have confidence that the right questions are being asked,” he said.

After U.S. strikes on Iran last summer, a cadre of top federal security officials issued a warning "urging critical infrastructure organizations to stay vigilant to Iranian-affiliated cyber actors that may target U.S. devices and networks."

Voce-Gardner said he was thinking about that when he heard about the new strikes targeting Iran's supreme leader.

After reaching out to the state Intelligence Center, he said he contacted the state Department of Health to ensure clean drinking water and the Department of Environmental Conservation to protect wastewater systems.

"Making sure that clean water runs into houses and toilets flush is very important," Voce-Gardner said.