What resources do small utilities need to defend against cyberattacks?

This article argues that small utilities—especially in water, power, and gas—are increasingly targeted by motivated adversaries but lack the funding, staffing, and procurement flexibility to build effective OT/ICS cybersecurity programs. Citing broad warnings about Chinese state-backed positioning and the CyberAv3ngers’ PLC attacks, it underscores the operational and national security risks posed by these resource gaps. The author calls for integrating cybersecurity as a budget baseline, accelerating access to tools and grants, and highlights Dragos’s Community Defense Program as a means to quickly bolster defenses for community operators.