As cited
Copy frozen at (site build).
ot ics
In most cities, nobody owns the whole network
Water and wastewater utilities face significant cybersecurity gaps because critical infrastructure sits outside traditional IT ownership and asset management. Controllers operating on public cellular networks remain undocumented and vulnerable, as evidenced by July 2026 incidents affecting multiple states where over 100 systems were compromised. Budget and governance structures, not technology, represent the primary obstacles to segmentation and visibility, though states and federal programs now offer funding and support mechanisms for remediation.
Why it matters: Water utility operators and municipal infrastructure leaders must establish clear accountability for all networked devices and conduct carrier invoice audits to identify undocumented systems on public cellular links; this directly addresses the July 2026 water sector compromises and prevents loss of operational control. CIOs and security leaders should evaluate network segmentation solutions immediately and leverage new state funding programs like Texas Project Watershed 250 and New York's water cybersecurity grants to close gaps before critical systems fail.
- Source published
- First seen by Cybersecurity Tracker