- Drinking Water
San Jose Water Company serves the greater San Jose, California metropolitan area. It is one of the largest and most technically sophisticated urban water systems in the U.S.
The leaders of security, business resiliency, and information systems at San Jose Water believe protecting the utility from cyber and physical threats is primarily a twofold challenge. It requires the awareness of all staff and access to a hub of information on current and emerging attacks.
"The threat landscape is always changing, and because WaterISAC receives information about risks to essential industries across the nation, we can see trends or learn about an incident elsewhere that may prompt us to review and strengthen one of our safeguards,” said Dana Drysdale, vice president of information systems at San Jose Water. “It’s an important resource.”
Drysdale and his colleagues also value WaterISAC’s regular email alerts and updates. "I may see items that are specifically water-related that I might have missed from other information sources," said Peter Fletcher, senior director of cybersecurity and IT at San Jose Water. As part of the utility’s cybersecurity training, broader insights conveyed in WaterISAC updates are shared with all employees.
From an emergency management perspective, San Jose Water’s Manager of Security and Business Resiliency, Jim Wollbrinck, appreciates WaterISAC’s partnership with American Water Works Association and other consortiums. “WaterISAC is looking at telecom, electric power, and other critical infrastructure that we communicate with during an emergency,” Wollbrinck said. “It’s just a great partnership in helping us coordinate.”
