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WILKES-BARRE — American Water Co. on Tuesday said it recently learned of unauthorized activity in its computer networks and systems which the company determined to be the result of a cybersecurity incident on Thursday, Oct. 3.
“As part of our response, we proactively took our customer portal service — MyWater — offline, which means we are pausing billing until further notice,” a statement from the water company said. “We are working diligently to bring our systems back online safely and securely.”
“Upon learning of the issue, our team immediately activated our incident response protocols, and third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, mitigation and an investigation into the nature and scope of the incident,” the company statement said. “We also contacted and are receiving assistance from law enforcement, and we are coordinating fully with them.”
In an effort to protect its customers’ data and to prevent any further harm to the environment, the company said it disconnected or deactivated certain systems.
The water company said there will be no late charges for customers while these systems are unavailable. The company’s dedicated team of professionals is working around the clock to investigate the nature and scope of the incident.
“We proactively took MyWater offline, which means we are pausing billing until further notice,” the company statement said. “There will be no late charges or services shut off while MyWater remains unavailable. Additionally, our call center has limited functionality while MyWater is offline. We are working diligently to bring these services back online safely and securely.”
The company said it currently believes that none of its water or wastewater facilities or operations have been negatively impacted by this incident, emphasizing that its water is still safe to drink.
The water company said investigations of this nature take time, and it will share information when and as appropriate.
As the company continues to investigate, the company will share further information at www.amwater.com.
Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.