Cyber threats to water systems are no longer hypothetical. When attacks succeed, communities can face loss of trust, safety concerns, or service disruptions.

Today, Microsoft, in collaboration with the Cyber Readiness Institute (CRI) and the Center on Cyber Technology and Innovation (CCTI), is releasing a report that examines both the urgency of this challenge and what it will take to close the cyber readiness gap in the water sector. The report draws on a pilot program that provided water and wastewater utilities with practical cybersecurity training paired with hands‑on coaching, testing whether real-world support can meaningfully improve cyber readiness.

The findings point to a clear conclusion: improving cyber resilience in the water sector is achievable when training is paired with hands-on support and delivered through trusted sector partners. Because of the success of this pilot, the program is now a permanent offering, giving water utilities continued access to practical training and support to strengthen cyber resilience and better protect their communities from evolving threats.

Why cyber resilience in the water sector matters now

Water and wastewater utilities underpin public health, economic activity, and community resilience across all critical infrastructure. Yet recent assessments from the U.S. intelligence community and public reporting on cyber incidents underscore how exposed many systems remain. Even larger, well-resourced utilities have experienced cyber incidents, highlighting vulnerabilities that are far more pronounced among smaller operators serving rural and underserved communities.

Awareness of cyber risk is growing, but awareness is not preparedness. The challenge is how to move from growing awareness to sustained, operational readiness, especially for utilities with limited time, funding, and technical capacity.

What the pilot set out to test and what it showed

The CRI pilot was designed to answer a practical question facing the water sector: can accessible, behavior‑focused cybersecurity training paired with hands‑on support meaningfully improve cyber readiness?

Participating utilities used CRI’s free Cyber Readiness Program, which focuses on core cybersecurity practices such as strong authentication, software updates, phishing awareness, and secure data handling. Utilities also had access to CRI Certified Cyber Coaches, who worked directly with designated “Cyber Leaders” inside utilities to help translate training into policies, playbooks, and incident response planning. This model paired accessible training with personalized support to help utilities make meaningful progress despite resource constraints. The pilot revealed three clear findings about what helps and what limits cyber readiness in the water sector.

• CRI program improves readiness: Participating utilities reported stronger cybersecurity fundamentals, greater confidence responding to incidents, and the identification of previously undocumented, yet critical, gaps such as missing continuity plans and weak password practices.
• Hands-on support accelerates success: Utilities paired with a CRI‑certified coach were significantly more likely to complete the program than those participating on a self‑paced basis.
• Demand exceeds capacity: While interest in cybersecurity support is high, staffing shortages, limited funding, and dependence on third-party vendors continue to limit utilities’ ability to fully implement improvements. Participation data helps explain this finding: of the 113 utilities that expressed initial interest, 72 began the program and 43 completed it.

Implications for policymakers and the ecosystem

The findings point to a central takeaway for policymakers and the ecosystem: improving cybersecurity outcomes requires moving beyond sharing information to providing hands-on support that helps utilities implement and sustain change.

• Free resources are necessary but not enough: No-cost guidance alone cannot overcome staffing and funding constraints. Effective programs must include implementation support, like cyber coaches, to drive real outcomes.
• Incentives increase participation: Tying cybersecurity training to operator licensing or continuing education requirements helps embed cyber readiness into routine professional development.
• Trusted messengers drive engagement: Participation and completion were highest when programs were facilitated through established sector associations and networks that utilities already trust.

A path forward through collaboration

The lesson from this pilot is clear: cyber readiness improves when training is paired with hands‑on support and facilitated through trusted partners. But the findings also underscore a broader reality: lasting progress will require moving beyond information sharing toward approaches that build real, sustained capacity building on the ground.

At Microsoft, this work reflects a practical commitment to supporting cyber resilience across critical infrastructure, helping to move from awareness to action. Addressing the challenges identified in this report will require continued collaboration among policymakers, sector associations, nonprofits, and the private sector.

This work also complements Microsoft’s broader commitment to be water positive, including minimizing our water use and replenishing more water than we consume[1][2], by helping strengthen the resilience of the water systems and utilities that serve communities. Supporting practical cyber readiness is one way we can contribute to more resilient water systems for the future.

[1] Sustainability | Microsoft

[2] Building Community-First AI Infrastructure – Microsoft On the Issues

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Ahead of Mobile World Congress, where global leaders, governments, and industry convene at the world’s largest connectivity event, Microsoft is marking a major milestone in our efforts to expand digital access worldwide. In 2022, we made a bold commitment to expand internet access to 250 million people by the end of 2025. Today, we are proud to share that we have met and exceeded that goal, extending connectivity coverage to over 299 million people worldwide, including more than 124 million across Africa.

This milestone represents more than a number. It reflects more than a decade of sustained collaboration with governments, nonprofits, local connectivity providers, and development partners around the world. Together, we have worked to reach communities where access has historically been limited, building pathways to education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and digital participation.

Reaching this milestone is also a moment of reflection and renewal. Building on years of progress, Microsoft is evolving its approach to digital access to focus not only on coverage, but on adoption, enablement, and long-term participation in the AI economy.

As part of this next chapter, we are announcing a new collaboration with Starlink. This collaboration expands the set of tools available to help deliver digital access in rural, agricultural, and hard-to-reach communities. Combined with local delivery partners and community institutions, it strengthens the foundation for AI-ready communities around the world.

Why digital access matters in the AI era

Despite continued progress, 2.2 billion people globally remain offline, and many more face barriers related to affordability, reliability, or access to relevant digital services. These gaps already limit opportunity and risk widening as AI becomes more central to how economies grow and societies function.

At Mobile World Congress 2024, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith shared our AI Access Principles, underscoring that electricity and connectivity are essential foundations for an inclusive AI economy. Since then, the pace of change has only accelerated. In fact, Microsoft’s 2025 AI Diffusion Report shows that AI is being adopted faster than any general-purpose technology in history, yet adoption remains uneven. As the data illustrates, adoption in the Global North is accelerating faster than in the Global South. Differences in infrastructure, access to tools, and digital readiness all contribute to a growing divide between higher-income and lower-income economies.

This graphic from the 2025 AI Diffusion Report reinforces a clear insight: access to AI alone is not enough. For communities to participate meaningfully in the digital and AI era, connectivity must be paired with reliable energy, affordable devices, digital skills, and technologies designed for real-world use. Where these conditions exist, adoption follows. In Zambia, for example, country-wide generative AI adoption is 12 percent, but among those with internet access, it rises to 34 percent.

Deepening Microsoft’s approach to digital access

Building on what we have learned, Microsoft is advancing a more holistic digital access model that recognizes connectivity as only one part of a broader system. In practice, this means collaboration to deliver not only internet access but also more reliable energy infrastructure, access to water where relevant, devices, digital skills, and cloud and AI tools, all designed and deployed for the communities they serve. By working across organizations and governments to address these foundational needs in parallel, this approach helps ensure that digital access is usable, durable, and capable of supporting real-world outcomes.

A central focus of this work is community-based access models that are financially sustainable, scalable, and aligned with national development priorities. These models bring together local institutions such as schools, health facilities, cooperatives, and community hubs and are implemented in partnership with governments, businesses, nonprofits, and development finance organizations. By integrating infrastructure, enablement, and financing from the outset, these holistic programs can help unlock long-term investment, support responsible growth, and enable communities to fully participate in the digital and AI economy.

Digital access directly complements Microsoft’s Community First AI Infrastructure approach by providing the foundation that enables AI to be adopted, used, and trusted by communities everywhere.

Partnering to deliver impact at scale

Progress at this scale is only possible through strong partnerships rooted in local delivery, community trust, and long-term sustainability. Microsoft’s work to extend connectivity to more than 299 million people has been built alongside partners who understand the realities of last-mile deployment and digital adoption.

In Africa, Microsoft works with partners such as Cassava Technologies to expand regional digital infrastructure and drive high-quality internet access across South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, and Zambia. Collaborations with local providers like Tizeti deliver affordable, reliable connectivity through solar-powered Wi-Fi networks across Nigeria and Ghana.

In Latin America, Microsoft’s partnership with Anditel focuses on expanding internet and energy access for rural and agrarian communities in Colombia through locally led models aligned with national priorities. In India, Microsoft works with AirJaldi to pair affordable connectivity with digital skills training and practical pathways for use, helping communities move beyond basic access toward meaningful adoption.

These partnerships made reaching the 250 million milestone possible. They also reflect a principle that continues to guide our work. Lasting digital access is built with communities, not for them.

Expanding the portfolio: Collaboration with Starlink

Building on this foundation, Microsoft continues to expand and diversify its portfolio to reach communities where traditional infrastructure alone cannot meet demand.

Through our collaboration with Starlink, Microsoft is combining low-Earth orbit satellite connectivity with community-based deployment models and local ecosystem partnerships. This is intended to expand the set of tools available to deliver digital access while remaining firmly embedded in a holistic, partnership-driven approach.

Kenya offers an early example of this model in practice. Working with Starlink and local internet service provider Mawingu Networks, Microsoft is supporting connectivity for 450 community hubs across rural and underserved regions, including farmer cooperatives, aggregation centers, and digital hubs. These deployments combine satellite connectivity with digital skills, tools, and ecosystem coordination to support agricultural productivity, access to markets, and adoption of digital and AI-enabled services.

Beyond 250 million: Building AI-ready communities

Surpassing the 250 million connectivity milestone is a moment to celebrate. It is also a starting point for what comes next.

The next chapter of Microsoft’s digital access work is planned to focus on ensuring that access translates into adoption, use, and long-term opportunity. By continuing to partner with governments, development finance institutions, nonprofits, and private-sector partners, and by expanding into energy access, financing mechanisms, and community-first AI solutions, Microsoft is working to ensure that everyone, everywhere, can participate in the digital and AI economy.

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