(TLP:CLEAR) NIST Releases Practical Remote Access Guidance for Water and Wastewater Utilities

Summary: NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released the final version of NIST Special Publication 1800-45, Cybersecurity for the Water and Wastewater Sector: Build Architecture. The practice guide demonstrates how water and wastewater utilities can securely enable remote access to OT environments using commercially available technologies. Developed in collaboration with water utilities, technology vendors, and industry experts, the publication provides reference architectures and sample implementations designed to support organizations of different size and operational needs. The guide was previously published as draft NIST Technical Note 2283 and has since been revised as an NCCoE practice guide based on community feedback.

Analyst Note: Remote access remains one of the most important cybersecurity challenges facing the water sector. Utilities increasingly rely on connected sensors, automation, data collection, networked devices, and analytics platforms to improve operations and service delivery. However, these same technologies expand the attack surface.

NIST SP 1800-45 provides a practical resource for utilities to evaluate and improve remote access to OT environments. WaterISAC encourages members to review the guide, compare its reference architecture against existing remote access practices, and use it to support discussions among IT and OT personnel and executive leadership. The publication may be especially useful for smaller utilities seeking scalable approaches that align cybersecurity improvements with operational realities. 

Original Source: https://csrc.nist.gov/News/2026/cyber-for-water-wastewater-sector

Related WaterISAC PIRs: 6, 8, 12