Governor Kathy Hochul today announced nation-leading cybersecurity regulations and $2.5 million in grants to help communities affordably protect their drinking water and wastewater systems. This comprehensive, unified approach equips drinking water and wastewater operators with the framework and tools to bolster their cybersecurity posture against increasingly sophisticated and dangerous cyber threats while strengthening services that millions of New Yorkers rely on every day.
“Cyber attacks on our water infrastructure can disrupt services and threaten public health and safety,” Governor Hochul said. “My administration is protecting New Yorkers by modernizing regulations and providing resources to adopt these important safeguards. There is nothing more important than keeping New Yorkers safe.”
Water infrastructure is essential to public health, safety, economic stability and national security, making it an attractive target for cyber attacks. As systems increasingly rely on digital and internet-connected technologies, the need for cybersecurity safeguards continues to grow.
Delivering on the Governor’s State of the State commitment to strengthen the resilience and reliability of water and wastewater systems, the Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Health (DOH) developed minimum standards for wastewater and drinking water systems that are threat-informed, risk-centric, and cost-balanced. At the same time, the Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) created grants and no-cost technical assistance to support local implementation. Close coordination helped streamline oversight, eliminate duplication and align with federal cybersecurity guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The new threat-informed, risk-centric, and cost-balanced minimum standards developed by DEC and DOH include:
- Mandatory cybersecurity training for certified operators
- Cybersecurity incident reporting requirements
- Risk-based tiered standards to protect critical operations and sensitive information
- Designation of a cybersecurity lead role at larger drinking water systems
To support implementation, Governor Hochul is launching the new $2.5 million Strengthening Essential Cybersecurity for Utilities and Resiliency Enhancements (SECURE) grant program, administered by EFC. Applications open today. Funding includes:
- Up to $50,000 for cybersecurity assessments
- Up to $100,000 to implement cybersecurity upgrades
EFC’s Community Assistance Teams are available to provide no-cost guidance and tools to help water and wastewater systems implement cybersecurity best practices. Communities can request one-on-one consultations, apply for the SECURE grant, and access centralized training and best practice resources on EFC’s Cybersecurity Hub.
Guidance and additional implementation resources are available on DEC’s Wastewater Cybersecurity Resources and DOH’s Cybersecurity for Public Water Systems webpages.
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