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Sector

Water / Wastewater

Public utilities with widely distributed sites, small technical teams and direct public-health consequences.

modbus-tcpdnp3mqttmodbus-rtu

Typical architecture

Central SCADA polling many remote stations over radio/cellular, with treatment plant PLCs on a site control network.

At a glance

SystemsSCADA, PLC, RTU, Chemical dosing controls, Telemetry radios
VendorsSchneider Electric, Rockwell Automation, Unitronics, Inductive Automation, Siemens

Why should I care?

Sector context decides consequence. The same vulnerability carries a different risk in a substation, a treatment plant and a packaging line — prioritise on physical outcome, not CVSS alone.

Key processes

  • Raw water intake
  • Treatment and dosing
  • Distribution pressure
  • Wastewater collection and treatment

Safety considerations

  • Chemical dosing limits
  • Public health protection
  • Confined space and chemical handling

Availability requirements

  • Continuous supply obligations
  • Limited redundancy at small sites

Threat patterns

  • Internet-exposed remote access to HMIs
  • Weak or shared credentials
  • Opportunistic targeting of small utilities

Relevant incidents

  • oldsmar