American Water Pauses Services Amid Cybersecurity Incident

(Reuters) – U.S. water and sewage utility American Water (NYSE:AWK) has paused billing, halted customer service, and disconnected some of its computers due to a "cybersecurity incident."

In a statement on its webpage, American Water disclosed it learned of "unauthorized activity" on its computer network on October 3. The company has since disconnected certain systems to protect customer data and prevent further environmental harm.

The New Jersey-based utility, serving over 14 million people across 14 U.S. states, has not provided additional comments regarding the incident.

While the specifics of the breach remain undisclosed, U.S. organizations have been facing ongoing threats from ransom-seeking cybercriminals who hack into networks and encrypt data, demanding cryptocurrency payments for its release.