AI is making critical infrastructure easier to attack

AxiosAugust 25, 2026en

Years of warnings about the digital vulnerabilities lurking inside basic utilities are colliding with a new reality: AI is making those weaknesses easier for hackers to exploit. Why it matters: AI is lowering the barrier for state-backed hackers looking to disrupt or manipulate water systems, power plants and other critical infrastructure. Driving the news: A recent wave of cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure is raising new questions about the preparedness of U.S. water systems and a British power plant. The Telegraph reported that Iran-backed hackers broke into a U.K. power plant, prompting a four-day shutdown around the time a series of cyberattacks on U.S. water systems began.

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