Cyberattacks Threaten North Carolina's Critical Infrastructure

North Carolina's critical infrastructure has been targeted by multiple cyber incidents: a December 2022 attack disabled transformers at two substations leaving ~45,000 residents without power for days; August 4, 2026 cyberattacks disrupted port IT systems forcing manual operations (no sensitive data reported leaked); and June 2026 saw a ransomware breach affecting a shipping association. Water systems across at least 12 states have also been impacted, with federal authorities suspecting Iranian state-sponsored actors in some intrusions, raising concerns given North Carolina's large, fragmented network of public water systems.