Water Sector Cybersecurity Collaboration
The Challenge
Across the country, water utilities face growing cybersecurity threats, yet many lack the resources, expertise, or coordinated guidance needed to strengthen their defenses. With aging operational technology, limited information technology/operational technology (IT/OT), integration security, and competing infrastructure priorities, the sector needed a unified strategy to improve resilience for utilities of all sizes.
Our Role
Ross Strategic facilitated the Water Sector Cybersecurity Task Force, a collaboration among federal agencies, national associations, state entities, and utilities convened by the Water Sector Coordinating Council (WSCC) and Government Coordinating Council (GCC). We conducted stakeholder interviews to capture diverse perspectives, then led the Task Force through five strategic meetings to assess the cybersecurity landscape, surface areas of agreement, and identify high-impact interventions. Our facilitation guided the group through structured discussions on utility capacity challenges, leadership engagement barriers, and policy levers that could accelerate sector-wide action. The process culminated in the development of 10 strategic recommendations, fully endorsed by all participants, that provide a clear, actionable framework for strengthening cybersecurity resilience across the water sector.
The Impact
The Task Force’s recommendations, published in Securing the Future of Water: Addressing Cyber Threats Today, now serve as a national roadmap for coordinated cybersecurity action. The framework addresses critical gaps in utility leadership engagement, technical assistance, state agency capacity, and vendor accountability. By aligning federal, state, and industry efforts, the recommendations provide a structured approach to improving cybersecurity posture at utilities nationwide, ensuring long-term resilience for critical water infrastructure. Implementation is now underway, with water sector partners working together to translate these strategic priorities into practice.