Matt Odermann, past president of the North Dakota Rural Water Systems Association and National Rural Water Association (NRWA) Representative on the CISA Water & Wastewater Coordinating Council, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works during the "Identifying and Addressing Cybersecurity Challenges to Protect America's Water Infrastructure" hearing on February 4.
Drawing on his robust experience in cybersecurity, which spans more than 20 years, Odermann's testimony emphasized the importance of cybersecurity for rural water and wastewater utilities, while also highlighting the challenges of implementing cyber practices with limited bandwidth of resources and technical expertise.
More than 90% of water systems in the U.S. serve populations of 10,000 or fewer, and are committed to providing clean, safe drinking water to protect public health in the communities they serve every day.