A criminal probe by the Justice Department has concluded that Iran was behind a cyberattack on a dam outside of New York City in 2013.
According to the Associated Press, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation said Thursday that an indictment is expected to be made soon.
Hackers gained access to the control system at the Bowman Avenue Dam, which is located approximately 30 miles north of New York City in the suburb of Rye Brook, in 2013. The cyberattack prompted a federal investigation.
According to the anonymous U.S. official, investigators concluded that Iran was to blame for the cyberattack and an indictment is expected to come down from the U.S. Attorney in Manhattan. The AP reported that a formal announcement in the case could come as soon as April. According to CNN, which also cited U.S. officials, the announcement could be made in the next week.
"I would say broadly that we obviously take all, seriously all such malicious activity in cyberspace. We’re going to continue to use all the tools at our disposal to deter, detect, counter, and mitigate that kind of activity," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said at a press briefing Thursday.
Toner did not comment on the likelihood of Iran being charged in the case.
A group of Iranian hackers, called SOBH Cyber Jihad, claimed responsibility for the cyberattack last December following a report in the Wall Street Journal about the breach. Officials in Rye said then that they had received notice of the "unauthorized access" from the Department of Homeland Security.