America’s water and wastewater system is under threat. A 2024 report by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Inspector General described more than 300 separate water systems at risk from cyberattacks. Together, those systems serve more than 100 million people. An attack on any of these systems could disrupt service or cause irreparable physical damage to the system’s drinking water infrastructure.
To help U.S. water systems better protect themselves against attack, the Cybersecurity for Manufacturing Innovation Institute (CyManII) has developed a cyber training program that allows critical infrastructure organizations to practice defending their systems and protecting their information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) assets.
CyManII recently launched its pilot program with the water treatment facility in Mission, Texas. Mission saw the pilot program as an opportunity to strengthen their cybersecurity posture and give them the tools needed in case of a future cyberattack.