Water Sector Under Attack: Defending Our Drinking Water
Zscaler, Friday, October 30th, 2026
Zscaler says Zero Trust approaches suited to OT and IoT can help water utilities defend against attacks CISA warned about in July 2026.
On July 20, 2026, CISA alerted that malicious actors were actively targeting water and wastewater systems, and media reported attacks against utilities in several US states that were stopped before anyone was harmed.
Zscaler argues security vendors should fit the needs of water operators rather than demanding standard IT practices, given their heavy OT and IoT use.
It says it offers solutions deployable regardless of network topology or current capability, based on Zero Trust principles, and notes attackers increasingly use AI to automate reconnaissance and exploit vulnerabilities faster.