Iranians hacked into New York dam

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 22, ARMENPRESS. Iranian hackers breached a dam outside of New York in 2013, according to a former official, managing to get control of the flood gates. “Armenpress” reports about the aforesaid, citing CNN.

The previouslyundisclosed cyber attack was firstreportedby The Wall Street Journal on Monday.

According to a former official familiar with the 2013 investigation into the attack, the hack of Bowman Avenue Dam near Rye Brook, New York, was not a sophisticated intrusion, but a test by Iranian hackers to see what they could access.

The breach occurred during the same time frame that Iranian hackers were targeting U.S. financial institutions. The attackers were unable to get into the full dam system, but could take control of the flood gates. The incident remains classified, the official said.

Rye Brook Mayor Paul Rosenberg said the dam is used to control water flow when it rains to prevent flooding downstream. The dam is managed by a piece of software that Rosenberg told CNN was "industry standard" and "very common."