Critical infrastructure giant Itron says it was hacked - TechCrunch

American energy technology company Itron has confirmed it was hit by a cyberattack in mid-April and that hackers had gained access to some of its systems. In a legally required filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission late on Friday, Itron said it was “notified” that it had an intruder in its systems. The company did not say who notified it, but added that it subsequently expelled the hackers and has seen no signs of further intrusions to its internal systems. Itron did not specify the type of cyberattack it experienced, such as whether ransomware was deployed or if the company had been contacted by the hackers directly. It’s also not immediately clear what impact, if any, the cyberattack is having on the company’s systems. The company said it did not identify unauthorized activity in the “customer-hosted portion of its systems,” suggesting that the breach may be limited to its IT network. Itron said it has also notified law enforcement of the breach. The Liberty Lake, Washington-based company provides technology for managing energy consumption of energy grids, including water, gas, and electricity supplies. The company provides internet-connected utility meters to over 110 million homes and businesses, according to its website. Itron has thousands of customers, including cities and municipalities, as well as operations in over 100 countries, its website reads. Itron said it activated its contingency plans and data backups, and its operations have “continued in all material respects,” but warned that it may have to make subsequent legal filings and regulatory notifications. This suggests that the company may have experienced a data breach, which could trigger further legal notifications under state data breach notification laws. It’s not clear who, if anyone, at Itron is responsible for cybersecurity. A spokesperson for Itron did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment. Topics critical infrastructure, cyberattack, cybersecurity, data breach, Itron, Security When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence. Zack Whittaker Security Editor Zack Whittaker is the security editor at TechCrunch. He also authors the weekly cybersecurity newsletter, this week in security. He can be reached via encrypted message at zackwhittaker.1337 on Signal. You can also contact him by email, or to verify outreach, at zack.whittaker@techcrunch.com. View Bio May 27 Athens, Greece StrictlyVC Athens is up next. Hear unfiltered insights straight from Europe’s tech leaders and connect with the people shaping what’s ahead. Lock in your spot before it’s gone. REGISTER NOW Most Popular Users turn to jailbreaking their older Kindles as Amazon ends support OpenAI launches ChatGPT for personal finance, will let you connect bank accounts US orders travelers on Air Force One to throw away gifts, pins, and burner phones after China trip What happens when AI starts building itself? OpenAI is reportedly preparing legal action against Apple; it wouldn’t be the first partner to feel burned How to turn off Instagram’s new Instants feature and retract photos you accidentally shared Musk’s xAI is running nearly 50 gas turbines unchecked at its Mississippi data center