Central Alabama Water is hosting a two-day cybersecurity training event bringing together water and wastewater professionals, technology leaders and cybersecurity experts from across the state.
The training, which began Tuesday, Sept. 29, at Central Alabama Water’s Historic Cahaba Pump Station, is designed to help utilities prepare for and respond to cybersecurity incidents that could affect critical infrastructure.
More than 100 people representing more than 40 utilities from 26 Alabama counties are expected to participate in the training.
Participants work through real-world scenarios designed to help them understand the current cybersecurity threat environment and consider how they would respond to potential attacks. The training addresses cyber resiliency, incident response, recovery planning and decision-making during a cyber incident.
For Central Alabama Water, hosting the event is part of the utility’s ongoing cybersecurity and service reliability efforts.
“When the idea for this event was first mentioned early this year, we immediately agreed to participate and offered to host the training,” said Cameron Holly, chief technology officer for Central Alabama Water. “Cybersecurity and service reliability are top priorities, and our team continuously monitors emerging threats and regularly coordinates with state and federal partners. This event helps Central Alabama Water and similar utilities further improve their preparedness and response.”
The training is a partnership between Central Alabama Water, the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University, the Alabama Rural Water Association and the State of Alabama Office of Information Technology.
The event is also taking place ahead of Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, a national effort focused on cybersecurity awareness and preparedness.
For water and wastewater utilities, cybersecurity preparedness is part of maintaining reliable services and preparing for incidents that could disrupt critical infrastructure. The training gives participating utilities an opportunity to work through potential scenarios before facing an actual incident.
