Renewed SANS Institute and Water-ISAC Partnership Targets Growing Cyber Threats to Water Systems

Expanded collaboration builds on research, training access, and industry engagement to strengthen resilience across utilities

Bethesda, MD, Sept. 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SANS Institute, the global leader in cybersecurity training and certifications, today announced the renewal of its partnership as a Champion with Water-ISAC. The extended collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting the water and wastewater sector with practical training, research, and community engagement designed to counter increasingly aggressive cyber threats.

Over the past year, the partnership has produced measurable results. At the SANS 2025 Utilities Forum, experts and utility leaders came together to examine strategies for securing IT and OT networks, developing effective incident response plans, and addressing evolving regulatory requirements such as NERC CIP and EPA cybersecurity guidance.

“Our work with SANS has given members access to training and insights that help them prepare for and respond to cyber threats,” said Tom Dobbins, Executive Director of WaterISAC. “By renewing this collaboration, we can continue supporting utilities as they strengthen their defenses against the evolving challenges facing the sector.”

The collaboration has also advanced sector-specific research. SANS published Protecting Critical Water Systems with Five ICS Cybersecurity Critical Controls by Dean Parsons, a white paper that quickly became a cornerstone resource for utilities. Supported by a five-part webinar series, the paper detailed how ICS-specific incident response, defensible network architecture, ICS network visibility, secure remote access, and risk-based vulnerability management can be applied to safeguard water operations. These findings were further highlighted at H2OSecCon 2025, where SANS experts shared lessons learned on applying and assessing the Five Critical Controls.

Looking ahead, SANS and Water-ISAC plan to expand their collaboration by delivering new resources tailored to the water sector, creating additional speaking opportunities for subject matter experts, and launching joint programming to share best practices across the community.

“The water and wastewater sector faces a unique set of challenges, and our work with Water-ISAC has demonstrated the power of equipping utilities with practical tools and knowledge,” said Tim Conway, Fellow and Director of the ICS Curriculum at SANS Institute. “As we move into the next phase of this partnership, we look forward to providing new resources and training that help the sector stay ahead of adversaries while protecting the essential services communities rely on.”

For more information about the partnership and available programs, visit SANS Water-ISAC Partnership.

Through the SANS SLTT Government Partnership Program, members can access the portal for the State, Provincial, Local, Territorial, and Tribal (SLTT) Governments aggregate buying program. This provides 50% off cybersecurity training during the Summer and Winter program windows.

Explore the SANS SLTT Government Partnership Program here.

Jenn Elston
SANS Institute
301-654-7267
press@sans.org

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