Cyber Threats, Disaster Recovery, & the New Reality for Water Utilities

Driving Digital in Water and Wastewater Operations | Part 1

Recent cyberattacks targeting municipal water systems have once again highlighted the importance of protecting critical infrastructure. Although many utilities were able to maintain safe operations, these incidents demonstrated that protecting water and wastewater operations requires more than preventing cyber threats. Critical systems must also be capable of recovering quickly when an unexpected disruption occurs.

This topic is particularly timely in light of recent US headlines.

During our recent webinar, “Driving Digital in Water and Wastewater Operations,” cybersecurity was not presented as an isolated IT concern. Instead, it was included in a broader conversation about resilience, operational continuity, and how utilities can better prepare for the challenges they face today.

This is the first article in our four-part series examining the main challenges facing the water and wastewater industry. Here, we explore why cybersecurity and disaster recovery have become essential components of every digital strategy.

Water Utilities Are Facing a Different Kind of Risk

Water and wastewater utilities have always been responsible for delivering one of our most critical public services. Today, that responsibility extends beyond treatment processes and distribution systems to safeguarding the operational technology that keeps those systems functioning.

As utilities modernize and connect more systems, the focus of cybersecurity has evolved. Stronger defenses remain important, but they are no longer enough on their own. Utilities must also ensure that operations can continue or be restored quickly when an unexpected event occurs.

This approach to cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important as utilities work to improve efficiency, meet regulatory requirements, and share data across their organizations. One of the webinar’s central messages was that organizations should not focus exclusively on preventing attacks. They must also have a clear and practical plan for recovering from one.

As Scott Lamothe explained, this level of preparation applies to much more than cyberattacks. Hardware failures, lightning strikes, accidental configuration changes, severe weather, and other unexpected events can also interrupt critical operations.

The real question is not which problem will occur first. It is whether your organization is prepared to respond and recover quickly. The utilities that recover fastest are not necessarily those that avoid every problem. They are the ones that planned for disruption before it happened.

Recovery Is More Than Having a Backup

When most people think about disaster recovery, backups are usually the first thing that comes to mind. Backups are essential, but they represent only one part of an effective recovery strategy.

A strong recovery plan also requires knowing what changed, when it changed, and how to restore systems efficiently without relying on a single individual who happens to have the most recent program saved on a laptop.

This point led to an important discussion during the webinar. Many municipalities still depend on a trusted system integrator or long-term employee to maintain program backups and system configurations. Although these relationships provide significant value, they can create operational risk when critical information exists with only one person or on one device.

Organizations are now looking for ways to automate backups, monitor system changes, and make recovery procedures consistent and repeatable. This reduces dependence on a single person when an emergency occurs.

One of the main lessons from the discussion was simple: resilience cannot be created in the middle of a crisis. It must be established well before anything goes wrong.

That means documenting recovery procedures, testing backups, maintaining current system configurations, and ensuring the appropriate people know how to restore operations when key systems become unavailable.

These initiatives may not be the most visible elements of digital transformation, but they are often among the most valuable when an unexpected event disrupts operations.

Cybersecurity Is an Operational Conversation

For many years, cybersecurity was considered primarily an IT responsibility. Today, it is a shared operational responsibility across the entire utility.

Operations, engineering, maintenance, and IT all play important roles in protecting infrastructure, maintaining reliable operations, and ensuring communities continue to receive essential services during unexpected disruptions.

As water and wastewater utilities continue investing in digital initiatives, cybersecurity and disaster recovery can no longer be addressed as separate topics. Together, they provide the foundation for resilient operations that can adapt, recover quickly, and continue delivering reliable services while moving digital transformation forward.

Watch the On-Demand Webinar

Watch the on-demand webinar, Driving Digital in Water and Wastewater Operations, to hear the full discussion, explore real-world examples, and learn how utilities are using operational data to improve resilience, strengthen cybersecurity, and make more informed decisions.

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