Funding constraints & budget limitations

Heavy reliance on taxpayer funding limits investment in areas such as cybersecurity Smaller municipalities often lack capital for modernization or security upgrades Security improvements are frequently delayed until after an incident occurs Grant funding exists but is increasingly difficult to secure

Inconsistent cybersecurity maturity

Significant gap between large, well-funded cities and smaller utilities Smaller organizations often have minimal or nonexistent security controls Reactive approach to cybersecurity is common

Weak regulatory enforcement

Oversight remains inconsistent and continues to evolve across federal and state authorities Limited pressure and absence of penalties reduce urgency Organizations are often only required to assess risk, not enforce corrective action

Exposure of critical OT assets

Instances of internet-exposed OT assets continue to be identified across the sector Known vulnerabilities often persist due to lack of funding and/or ability to prioritize Assets are increasingly targeted by external threat actors

Fragmented OT environments

Legacy systems and multi-vendor ecosystems create complexity Lack of standardization and consistent architecture across systems Difficulty in securing, monitoring and maintaining OT environments at scale

Limited cybersecurity expertise and resources

Shortage of skilled personnel with OT/ICS security knowledge Teams may lack awareness or capability to implement effective security controls Most personnel understand risk exists but don’t have a plan, tools or resources to act

Misalignment between IT/OT

IT teams often manage cybersecurity decisions without OT-specific expertise Use of IT tools in OT environments can introduce operational risk and often are a poor fit thus leaving gaps in OT environmental coverage Inefficient coordination leads to ineffective or harmful security implementations

Reactive incident response approach

Water utilities often seek help only after a breach or attack Limited preparedness and lack of incident response planning Recovery and remediation are slower without proactive measures in place

Cybersecurity for Water & Wastewater Operations

Secure Critical Water Infrastructure. Protect Public Safety. Strengthen Operational Resilience.

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Cybersecurity

Water and wastewater utilities are essential to public health, environmental protection and economic stability. Municipalities rely on complex networks of treatment plants, pumping stations and distribution systems to deliver clean water and safely process wastewater.

Today, these facilities face a unique combination of constrained budgets, inconsistent regulatory pressure and limited cybersecurity expertise. This results in exposed critical infrastructure, fragmented systems and reactive security postures that increase both cyber risk and public safety impact.

Why OT Cybersecurity Matters in the Water & Wastewater Industry

Aging infrastructure, limited budgets and evolving threat landscapes make it increasingly difficult for utilities to maintain both operational reliability and security.

With 2/3 of the U.S. water/wastewater plants being over 20 years old, systems are critically outdated and exposed, validating that cybersecurity is no longer optional. It is a foundational requirement for ensuring safe water delivery, regulatory compliance and uninterrupted service to communities.

These operations are becoming more connected through:

Integrating remote access
Digital transformation and monitoring
Industrial control systems (ICS)

Cybersecurity Challenges Facing Water Utility Operations

Water utilities are experiencing a unique combination of constraints and risks that make cybersecurity difficult to implement and sustain:

Rockwell Automation receives company of the year for water utility cybersecurity

Frost & Sullivan awards Rockwell Automation with 2026 Company of the Year for Water Utility Cybersecurity.

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Strengthening Cybersecurity for Water & Wastewater Organizations

Rockwell Automation developed SecureOT™ solution suite specifically for OT environments to help proactively address and overcome cybersecurity challenges and risks through a phased, programmatic approach.

SecureOT Solution	Water & Wastewater Utility Business Outcome
Protect critical water & wastewater assets from cyber risk	Gain visibility and quickly identify and prioritize risks to strengthen OT security and resilience
Ensure continuous operations with OT cybersecurity resilience	Minimize downtime with real-time monitoring, rapid detection, and fast response and recovery
Meet EPA and AWWA standards and NIST, NIS2 & IEC 62443 compliance requirements	Align with national public health and environmental organizations’ standards and vital cybersecurity frameworks to meet evolving regulatory requirements without disrupting operations
Scale OT security with managed services and 24/7 monitoring	Extend your team with OT cybersecurity experts, automation and 24/7 SOC/NOC support
Prevent downtime and protect utility reputation	Reduce the impact and cost of incidents while preventing downtime and regulatory penalties
Improve safety across water and wastewater operations	Protect people, infrastructure, and the environment by reducing cyber-driven operational risks

How SecureOT Delivers Real Value to Water Utility Operations

By aligning cybersecurity efforts to the core business outcomes, water and wastewater organizations can drive meaningful operational and financial benefits to:

Improve operational resilience

Reduce risk of downtime and service disruption
Protect critical processes from cyber incidents
Enable secure, reliable remote operations
Maintain continuity of essential services

Drive financial efficiency

Minimize costly downtime, fines, and remediation efforts
Extend lifecycle of existing infrastructure through secure integration
Prioritize investments based on risk and operational impact
Allow for cost-effective security improvements using existing assets

Protect public safety

Prevent unauthorized manipulation of treatment processes
Safeguard drinking water quality
Reduce risk of environmental contamination
Boost community trust and confidence

Strengthen compliance posture

Align industry frameworks and emerging regulations
Improve audit readiness and reporting capabilities
Demonstrate thoroughness to regulators and stakeholders
Reduce exposure to regulatory penalties and liability

Enable scalable infrastructure

Standardize and modernize waste/wastewater OT environments
Improve asset visibility and control
Support digital transformation initiatives securely
Lay the foundation for advanced monitoring and analytics

Why Water Utility Organizations Choose Rockwell Automation

As a partner, Rockwell Automation brings a unique perspective to this industry as a global manufacturer with more than a century of industrial expertise and thirty years focused specifically on OT cybersecurity that is tightly integrated across the ICS lifecycle.

By combining professional, consultative services with managed security services and an OT-specific SecureOT™ Platform, our cohesive solution can be tailored and scaled to meet water and wastewater facilities where they are in their cyber maturity journey to deliver rapid value and ROI.

Unlike point solutions, this approach ensures water and wastewater operators can protect essential services, safeguard public health safety, maintain regulatory compliance and reduce cyber risk while supporting continuous operations across plants, pumping stations and distributed assets.

Top reasons to choose Rockwell Automation as a Partner for water & wastewater operations:

Integrated platform, services and lifecycle execution
Consistent, faster and measurable security outcomes
OT-specific cybersecurity partner across multi-vendor environments
Standardized OT landscape at scale aligned with compliance requirements

Water Utility Cuts Cyber Risk Remediation Time to Days

Case Study

Water Utility Cuts Cyber Risk Remediation Time to Days

Discover how SecureOT™ Platform helped a top water utility assess cyber risks across IT and OT systems and deliver real-time security insights.

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“This combination of lifecycle partnership, accessible expertise, and consistent global execution reinforces Rockwell Automation’s position as a trusted OT cybersecurity ally and fosters strong customer loyalty across regions and industries.”

Tobias Folatelli - Research Analyst, Security Frost & Sullivan 2026 Global OT Cybersecurity Services Report

Explore How to Strengthen Your Cybersecurity Posture

Protecting Water Utilities from Cyber Threats

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Protecting Water Utilities from Cyber Threats

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Cybersecurity Preparedness Assessment

It’s not a question of if your business will be subjected to a cybercrime, it’s when. Take this quiz to evaluate your cybersecurity preparedness.

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Industrial OT Cybersecurity – Rockwell Automation SecureOT

Industrial zone,The equipment of oil refining,Close-up of industrial pipelines of an oil-refinery plant,Detail of oil pipeline with valves in large oil refinery.

Industrial OT Cybersecurity – Rockwell Automation SecureOT

SecureOT combines OT‑specific designed software, expert services, and global scale to reduce risk, improve uptime, and simplify compliance for industrial operations.

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Ready to secure your OT environment?

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