America’s Water Systems Face a Growing Cybersecurity Threat

America’s water systems are increasingly in hackers’ crosshairs.

But states also are confronting another common challenge—how to help local water systems that already face limited technical and financial capacity and competing infrastructure needs manage growing cyber risks.

Fiscal Risks to Water Systems Cyberattacks on water systems can include ransomware incidents, breaches of customer data, and intrusions into operational technology that can disrupt service, damage infrastructure, or compromise technologies used to operate and monitor water systems.

As of 2024, more than 85% of Maryland residents were served by water systems that had completed cybersecurity assessments.

Final Thoughts As cyber risks grow and regulatory requirements increase, local water utilities will face growing pressure to invest in cybersecurity measures despite ongoing funding and capacity constraints.