water management

Secure and resilient operation of water infrastructure

Water companies and operators of water-management infrastructure provide services whose prolonged or extensive disruption may affect residents, industrial companies, healthcare organisations and the functioning of cities and municipalities. The reliability of water supply, wastewater collection and treatment therefore depends not only on physical infrastructure, but also on the availability of information systems, communication networks, control technologies and external services.

Operational environments often include geographically dispersed facilities, technologies from different generations, remote administration and equipment with long lifecycles. A failure, cyberattack or loss of communication may affect operational control, data availability, employee coordination and the organisation’s ability to respond to an emergency.

We help water-management organisations manage cybersecurity, technological, operational and regulatory risks as an interconnected whole. Our services include cybersecurity, compliance, sensitive information protection, risk management, information technology and digital transformation.

We design solutions with consideration for the nature of operations, the extent of the infrastructure, the technologies used, available professional resources and the need to maintain the continuous delivery of essential services.

Cybersecurity of water-management environments

Water-management organisations use enterprise information systems, communication infrastructure, operational applications, control technologies and remote devices. These parts of the environment are increasingly interconnected, which facilitates operational management but also creates new technological and security dependencies.

We conduct security management audits focused on the actual effectiveness of technical and organisational measures. We assess system administration, access permissions, privileged accounts, remote connections, the allocation of responsibilities, technology updates and the organisation’s readiness to respond to cyber incidents.

Vulnerability assessments combine automated tools with expert manual verification of identified weaknesses. We focus on servers, network infrastructure, enterprise applications, endpoint devices and other parts of the environment whose compromise could affect the availability of operational services.

We can also test organisational resilience through controlled simulations of cyberattacks. Red Team Operations assess technological security, the ability to detect an attack, employee response and the effectiveness of established security processes.

The outcome is an overview of actual weaknesses and practical recommendations prioritised according to risk, potential operational impact and the complexity of remediation.

Security of operational and control technologies

Water-management environments often include technological equipment and control systems designed primarily for stability and long service life rather than current cybersecurity requirements. Some technologies have limited update options, and their shutdown or modification may require complex operational coordination.

We help organisations identify dependencies between enterprise information systems, communication networks and operational technologies. We assess network segmentation, access management, asset inventories, technical accounts, remote maintenance and communication between central systems and individual facilities.

Particular attention is given to remote facilities such as pumping stations, water treatment plants, reservoirs, wastewater treatment plants and other technological sites. Their protection must take account of limited physical accessibility, communication quality and the way maintenance activities are performed.

Recommended measures are adapted to operational realities. The objective is to reduce risk without disproportionate interference in technology availability and to create a sustainable system of protection.

Risk management and continuity of water services

Risks in water management cannot be assessed solely according to the probability of a technical failure or cyberattack. It is also necessary to consider the possible impact on water supply, wastewater collection, service quality, the environment, public health and the organisation’s ability to fulfil its obligations.

We help organisations identify and classify assets, evaluate threats and vulnerabilities and establish risk-management priorities. We assess cybersecurity, technological, operational, supplier, regulatory, financial and project risks and their possible interdependencies.

A Business Impact Analysis identifies critical processes, their technological, personnel, communication and supplier dependencies and the maximum acceptable duration of operational disruption.

Based on the results, we design Business Continuity Management and Disaster Recovery systems. We prepare responsibilities, communication procedures, recovery scenarios and practical plans for situations such as cyberattacks, infrastructure outages, data loss, the unavailability of a control system, communication failures or the failure of a critical supplier.

Continuity plans must reflect the actual organisation of operations and remain usable during events that may affect several locations or services simultaneously. We therefore also support their regular testing, evaluation and updating.

Readiness for security incidents

A rapid and coordinated response can significantly reduce the impact of a cyber or technological incident on the organisation’s operations. Unclear responsibilities, unavailable contacts or missing operational scenarios may prolong recovery and complicate decision-making.

We help organisations establish processes for identifying, reporting, evaluating and managing security incidents. We define roles and responsibilities, escalation procedures, communication arrangements and coordination between technical teams, management, operational facilities and external partners.

Readiness can be tested through model situations and practical exercises. The organisation can therefore verify whether contacts, decision-making authority, communication channels and recovery scenarios are genuinely usable.

The objective is to create an effective incident-response system supporting rapid decisions, damage limitation and the secure restoration of operations.

Supplier risk management

The operation of water infrastructure depends on suppliers of technologies, software, communication services, maintenance, laboratory systems, energy services and professional support. Some suppliers may have remote access to critical systems or provide services without which operations cannot be sustained over the long term.

We help organisations identify critical suppliers and assess risks associated with their services. We review access permissions, remote support arrangements, the allocation of responsibilities, security requirements, contractual conditions and the supplier’s readiness to respond to an incident or outage.

Supplier risk management is integrated with the organisation’s overall risk-management system. This makes it possible to distinguish ordinary suppliers from partners whose failure could significantly affect operations, security or the availability of water services.

The result is clearer management of technological and operational dependencies and the ability to focus controls on suppliers with the greatest impact on the organisation.

Protection of sensitive and operational information

Water-management organisations work with technical documentation, operational data, maps, infrastructure information and data concerning employees, customers, suppliers and contractual relationships.

This information may be stored in databases, geographic information systems, document repositories, operational applications, email communication and other structured and unstructured sources.

We help organisations identify and classify sensitive information and establish rules for its processing, storage, sharing, archiving and secure disposal. We review access permissions, information transfers to external partners and risks associated with unauthorised disclosure, modification, loss or theft.

We design technical, procedural and organisational measures corresponding to the actual value of the information and the potential impact of its compromise. This may include a data loss prevention strategy, information lifecycle management or secure methods for sharing documentation.

The objective is to ensure the availability of necessary information for operations and decision-making while reducing the risk of misuse or loss.

Compliance and regulatory readiness

Water-management organisations must comply with a combination of legislative, regulatory, contractual and internal requirements. These obligations apply not only to the services provided, but also to cybersecurity, information protection, risk management, operational continuity and supplier relationships.

We assess the current state and help organisations determine which requirements apply to their activities and technological environments. We identify gaps and recommend specific measures required to achieve and maintain compliance.

We support the implementation of processes, responsibilities, control mechanisms, internal policies and related documentation. We also help prepare for internal and external audits and verify whether implemented measures operate effectively in everyday practice.

We connect compliance with the management of risks, technologies, incidents and suppliers. Regulatory requirements are therefore not addressed as an isolated administrative agenda, but as part of the organisation’s overall management system.

IT audit and strategy

Information technology supports operational management, infrastructure records, customer services, financial processes, document management and communication between individual facilities. As the environment gradually expands, however, it may develop complex dependencies, technical debt and solutions with limited support.

We conduct IT audits focused on operational risks, performance, security and the long-term sustainability of existing solutions. We assess applications, infrastructure, data centres, cloud services, communication environments, endpoint devices and the way IT services are delivered.

We help organisations prepare an IT strategy and a realistic plan for further development. We design a target enterprise architecture connecting processes, applications, data and technology platforms.

This may also include establishing an IT operating model, defining the responsibilities of internal teams and external partners and implementing processes for more effective management of services, changes and technology projects.

The result is a clearer environment, better-informed investment decisions and improved control over technological and supplier dependencies.

Digital transformation of operational and administrative processes

Digital transformation in water management includes infrastructure management, operational data, maintenance, laboratory processes, customer services, documentation and internal approval procedures.

We help organisations evaluate the state of their application environment and determine which processes should be modernised, automated or more effectively connected through data. We design integration and digital platforms enabling secure information exchange between systems and individual facilities.

We support the digitalisation of document and approval processes, the implementation of DMS and ECM solutions and the establishment of data governance rules. The objective is to ensure that employees and systems work with accurate, current and trustworthy information.

New solutions are designed with consideration for integration into the existing environment, operational sustainability, security and the organisation’s ability to manage the technologies over the long term.

Management of technology projects

The modernisation of information and operational technologies can significantly affect the everyday functioning of a water-management organisation. An inadequately prepared specification, unsuitable solution or unclear allocation of responsibilities may result in increased costs, project delays and new operational risks.

We help prepare functional and technical specifications, procurement documentation and tender procedures for information systems and technological solutions. We provide professional support when evaluating bids, selecting suppliers and reviewing proposed solutions.

During implementation, we provide project management and expert technical supervision. We monitor compliance with requirements, architectural consistency, security parameters, integration with existing systems and alignment with the organisation’s long-term objectives.

We also help establish the transition of the solution into operation, responsibilities for its management and the conditions of ongoing support so that the organisation retains control over important technologies and services.

Comprehensive support for water-management organisations

Cybersecurity, operational continuity, risk management, IT and digital transformation cannot be addressed separately in water management. Connecting a new remote facility may create a security risk, changing a supplier may affect operational availability and a digital transformation project may alter the way sensitive information is protected.

Comsec combines expertise from individual areas and develops solutions corresponding to the size of the organisation, the extent of its infrastructure, the technologies used and actual operational requirements.

Cooperation may include a one-off assessment of a selected area, resolution of a specific security or technological issue, support for a modernisation project or long-term professional cooperation.