New York, NY — April 30, 2026 — The Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) today announced that it has joined WaterISAC as a Community Partner, expanding collaboration to help small and medium‑sized water and wastewater utilities strengthen their cybersecurity through a practical, accessible program and dedicated resources.
As cyber threats increasingly target critical infrastructure, water utilities face the challenge of improving cyber resilience while operating with limited resources and specialized expertise. Through this Community Partner relationship, CRI and WaterISAC will work together to promote cybersecurity practices that are realistic, understandable, and immediately actionable for water utilities.
“Cybersecurity in the water sector isn’t just about technology; it’s about people, leadership, and everyday behavior,” said Sasha Pailet Koff, Managing Director of the Cyber Readiness Institute. “By joining WaterISAC as a Community Partner, we’re reinforcing a shared commitment to helping water and wastewater utilities build cyber readiness in a way that works for their operational realities. Utilities don’t need more complexity; they need clear guidance that empowers their workforce to reduce risk.”
CRI offers its free Cyber Readiness Program to small and medium‑sized organizations, including water and wastewater utilities. The self‑paced program presents basic cybersecurity concepts through the lens of human behavior, recognizing that people play a central role in both cyber risk and cyber resilience.
The Cyber Readiness Program is designed for participants without a cybersecurity background and focuses on the widely recognized “Core Four” practices:
Sponsored by Microsoft, CRI’s Critical Infrastructure Program: Resiliency for Water Utilities builds on the Cyber Readiness Program, providing additional guidance to help water utilities address the unique cybersecurity challenges they face protecting operational technology (OT) that controls the facility and the information technology (IT) used for business purposes such as email and billing. Utilities that completed the program reported a stronger understanding of cybersecurity fundamentals and a meaningful improvement in their ability to prepare for and respond to cyber incidents. Based on the success of a pilot effort, the water utility program is now a permanent offering, providing water and wastewater utilities with ongoing training and support to strengthen resilience and better protect the communities they serve.
“Cyber resilience is essential to maintaining safe and reliable water and wastewater services,” said Jennifer Lyn Walker, Director of Infrastructure Cyber Defense for WaterISAC. “We have been collaborating with CRI for years, and it is my pleasure not only to formalize this partnership, but also to have CRI as our first Community Partner. Community Partners like the Cyber Readiness Institute play an important role in reinforcing that cybersecurity is shared across the organization. CRI’s people‑focused, practical approach complements WaterISAC’s resources and helps utilities build a stronger foundation for cyber readiness.”
Through collaboration and knowledge sharing, CRI and WaterISAC aim to reduce cyber risk across the sector by equipping utility leaders and staff with the understanding, skills, and confidence needed to embed cybersecurity into everyday operations.
“At CRI, our mission is simple,” added Pailet Koff. “When organizations are cyber ready, they are more resilient. And when essential services like water utilities are cyber ready, entire communities are stronger.”
About the Cyber Readiness Institute
The Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) is a global non-profit initiative that provides free cybersecurity tools for small and medium-sized businesses across all industries. CRI’s tools and resources focus on human behavior, emphasizing employee education and awareness to improve the security of global supply chains. The Institute is supported by member companies, Microsoft, Mastercard, and T-Mobile, and is housed within the Center for Global Enterprise, a New York-based non-profit applied research organization. Learn more at cyberreadinessinstitute.org.
About WaterISAC
WaterISAC serves as the communications and information-sharing organization for the water sector, uniting utilities, security experts, and government partners to deliver actionable intelligence, strengthen resilience, and protect critical water infrastructure nationwide. Learn more at waterisac.org.
