In 2002, the AMWA founded the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center (WaterISAC) in collaboration with the other national water and wastewater groups and at the urging of EPA and FBI. WaterISAC was one of the earliest ISACs created across the 16 critical infrastructure sectors as part of a White House mandate to increase security information sharing within sectors and with the federal agencies.
What had been envisioned initially to focus on cybersecurity issues quickly took on a physical security role after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Created by and for the water sector, WaterISAC expanded its focus beyond physical security to include cybersecurity, climate adaptation, emergency response, and natural disaster resilience.
The center counts 500 utilities and other stakeholder organizations as members and has a roster of more than 3,200 participants. Since its early days, WaterISAC expanded membership to include utilities in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
AMWA continues to manage WaterISAC, and the center has made significant strides in the last two decades to be the leader in producing and sharing water sector-relevant cyber and physical threat advisories and best practices.
Take a look back at what WaterISAC was able to accomplish in 2021, and at what the center has to offer.