Water utility American Water disconnects computers following 'cybersecurity incident'

(Reuters) - U.S. water and sewage utility American Water said it has paused billing, yanked its customer service, and disconnected some of its computers following an unspecified "cybersecurity incident."

In a statement on its webpage, American Water said it learned of "unauthorized activity" on its computer network on Oct. 3 and has since disconnected an unspecified number of systems "to protect our customers' data and prevent any further harm to our environment."

The New Jersey-based company, which says it provides service to more than 14 million people in 14 U.S. states, did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the incident.

Although the details of the breach were not disclosed, organizations in the U.S. and abroad have struggled for years to defend against and contain incursions by ransom-seeking cybercriminals, who regularly hack into groups' computers and encrypt the data to extort vast sums of money in cryptocurrency payments.

(Reporting by Raphael Satter; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)