American Water, the parent company of Indiana American Water, experienced what an official is calling a “cybersecurity incident” last week, forcing the utility to take some online customer service features offline, including billing, while reassuring customers they will not be assessed late fees while the system is down.
Indiana American Water serves several communities in Northwest Indiana, including Gary, the Duneland communities, Merrillville and Portage, among others.
“American Water recently experienced a cybersecurity incident of which it learned on Thursday, October 3,” a spokesperson said in a release.
According to a FAQ section on the company’s website, the company disconnected or deactivated certain systems to protect customers’ data and to prevent further harm. The company proactively took MyWater offline, which means it is pausing billing until further notice.
“We are working diligently to bring these systems back online safely and securely,” the website noted.
There will be no late charges or services shut off while MyWater remains unavailable, according to the FAQ page on the website, and the company’s call center has limited functionality while MyWater is offline.
“We are working diligently to bring these services back online safely and securely,” according to the website.
The company activated its incident response protocols and third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with containment, mitigation and an investigation into the nature and the scope of what happened, according to the spokesperson’s statement.
“We also contacted and are receiving assistance from law enforcement, and we are coordinating fully with them,” the statement said.
Officials American Water doesn’t believe any of its water or wastewater facilities or operations have been negatively impacted.
