Water utilities need hands-on cybersecurity help, not just free guidance, pilot program finds

Free cybersecurity training can help water and wastewater utilities protect themselves against hackers, but only when paired with hands-on assistance and incentives for employees to build cybersecurity skills, Microsoft said in a report published on Thursday.

The report — a summary of a 2023-2025 cybersecurity assistance pilot program that Microsoft ran in partnership with the Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) and the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) — contains several recommendations for how the federal government and water industry associations can support utility operators as they harden their defenses.

“Strengthening the cybersecurity of the nation’s water sector requires shifting from information distribution to capacity building — embedding hands-on assistance, aligning cybersecurity with existing operator requirements, and leveraging trusted sector associations to scale participation,” the report said.

Read more at Cybersecurity Dive