The water sector is deeply concerned about cybersecurity threats, operational disruptions, and the cost of protecting sensitive assets. While digital monitoring, smart metering and automation are expanding rapidly, integrated cyber defence strategies remain limited. The coming years will be challenging for many operators. Key priorities will include safeguarding service continuity, ensuring compliance with new regulations such as NIS2, protecting public trust, aligning with ESG targets, and maintaining strategic independence from hostile cyber actors. Utilities must also consider how they can position themselves securely to remain attractive to investors and reliable as providers of an essential public service.
How Utilities Are Protecting Themselves
Securing a water utility is not as simple as deploying a single firewall. Water distribution involves both operational technology and information technology systems, and both must be safeguarded. Remote monitoring, SCADA systems, smart meters, and even customer-facing portals can serve as entry points for malicious actors. Utilities are steadily investing in security information and event management, anomaly detection tools, and real-time monitoring platforms to defend against hidden threats. For many operators, “shadow vulnerabilities” such as legacy equipment, unsecured remote access points or outdated control protocols continue to exist below the radar. Modern cybersecurity architectures reduce the risks of intrusion and service disruption. At the same time, new business models such as managed security services are emerging. The prerequisite is data transparency and visibility across the entire digital utility.
The water sector is also part of a broader digital infrastructure. Smart city initiatives, connected sensors and the use of AI for predictive maintenance mean that utilities are no longer isolated; they are nodes within larger, data-driven ecosystems. This interconnectedness creates opportunities but also expands the attack surface. What the industry has achieved in digitising operations over the last decade is now urgently required for cyber resilience.
We are witnessing convergence between IT systems, OT environments and regulatory frameworks, each with its own protocols and technical requirements. For utilities, cybersecurity is no longer a back-office function; it is a board-level priority. Alongside advanced digital tools, older infrastructure must also be upgraded with cyber-hardened retrofits. Utilities are evolving into “prosumers” of security, not only implementing their own defences but also contributing to shared intelligence networks that detect and mitigate threats across the sector.
Traditionally, water utilities relied on perimeter security and isolated control systems. Today, they must integrate advanced intrusion detection, zero-trust architectures, and incident response plans. Smart networks with distributed sensors, remote telemetry and AI-driven analytics enable utilities to identify threats faster and minimise disruptions. This leads to greater resilience, regulatory compliance, and public confidence. In addition to protecting treatment plants and pipelines, cyber-secure utilities are steadily taking on responsibility for ensuring that customer data, billing platforms and digital services remain protected from exploitation.
The water sector continues to face the challenge of building a sustainable, cyber-secure digital ecosystem. The technical solutions, strategies and partnerships required to meet this challenge will be presented at European Smart Water Utilities 2026.
