Photograph Courtesy of The City of Rye A sluice gate at the Bowman Dam in Rye |
The hacks of Westchester’s Bowman Dam by Firoozi took place between August 28, 2013 and Sept 18, 2013. He was able to access information related to the status and operation of the dam and the status of the sluice gate—responsible for controlling water levels and flow rates. Fortunately, at the time of the hacks, the Bowman Dam sluice gate had been manually disconnected for maintenance.
While seemingly inconsequential, the attempt by the Iranians to hack the dam was something that the county took very seriously. “Coordinated communication is one of our prime lines of defense against these types of terror threats,” said County Executive Rob Astorino. “Preventing an attack can only be accomplished if we work together and share information.”
The seven Iranian defendants were employed by two Iran-based computer companies, ITSecTeam (“ITSEC”) and Mersad Company (MERSAD). The work of the FBI allowed the filing of these indictments. “[We] will find those behind cyber intrusions and hold them accountable,” said FBI Director James B. Comey. “Wherever they are, and whoever they are.”