Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados

Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, also known as the Aqueduct and Sewer Authority or AAA, is Puerto Rico's water utility. The organisation provides drinking water supply and wastewater collection and treatment services to residents and businesses across the island. Its headquarters is located in the United States of America, reflecting Puerto Rico's status as a U.S. territory. As a public authority, it operates under governmental oversight to ensure reliable water and sewer infrastructure. The utility manages a network of aqueducts, pumping stations, treatment plants, and sewer lines that serve the Commonwealth. Its core mission is to deliver safe, potable water and to protect public health through effective sewage management.

On March 13, 2023, the Autoridad de Acueductos y Alcantarillados experienced a ransomware attack that targeted its electronic customer service systems. The incident was publicly confirmed by the utility's vice president, who noted that the organisation's robust security systems triggered protective measures during the compromise. Despite the disruption to online services, the authority stated that no employee or customer data was accessed or exfiltrated by the attackers. In response to the attack, the utility explicitly declared that it would not pay any ransom to regain access to its systems. The vice president emphasized that the agency's incident response protocols helped contain the impact and facilitated recovery efforts. Details of the event were reported by cybersecurity news outlets, including a post on Databreaches.net describing the incident as part of a broader trend of ransomware targeting critical infrastructure.