British Water Facilities Breached Through ICS Exposure’s

Executive Summary 

United Kingdom (UK) water suppliers have been the target of multiple cyberattacks targeting Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT). These attacks have caused business disruptions, data breaches, and reduction of public trust. Mitigation strategies center on network segmentation, reducing internet exposure, and continuous monitoring of networks and systems. These practices can help harden ICS systems with more defensive structures and increase the ability to detect and deter threats from breaching the systems.

Background 

UK water facilities have experienced a rise in cyberattacks from 2021 to 2025, with the most recent threat to their ICS and OT systems happening in November of this year. A report from Malwarebytes [1] states that five cyberattacks have targeted water suppliers since January 2024. Although these attacks caused no direct disruption, they exposed critical vulnerabilities in company systems emphasizing the need for stronger security across these sectors.

Other media sources confirm these incidents, and some say that these attacks increase the risks of essential services being targeted as geopolitical instability increases. This means that services such as water delivery can experience disruptions and expose corporate systems to the same risks [3]. This shows that repeated attacks can weaken ICS and OT system boundaries, making them increasingly vulnerable.

Industry reports also indicate that the UK Drinking Water Inspectorate received 15 incident reports from January 2024 to October 2025. These reports can only be disclosed by regulations if essential services are disrupted which could mean more attacks have taken place but were not reported [4]. These attacks show an increase of opportunistic attackers exploiting vulnerabilities in the UK’s water infrastructure, highlighting the urgent need for stronger defenses.

Impact 

The most immediate threat is that attackers can exploit the internet-exposed assets and systems to move from corporate networks to ICS and OT water utilities systems. Successful attacks can cause business disruptions if  hackers shut down systems, data breaches that expose sensitive company or customer information, and a loss of public trust as attackers tamper with water  safety and production [2]. Even if systems aren’t breached or tampered with, repeated attacks can strain the resources available to the company and increase risks as attackers gain more information about systems and networks, and the security procedures in place.

Mitigation 

The best mitigation strategies involve implementing layered defense protocols and network monitoring. These strategies can include network segmentation to prevent attackers from moving between systems, removing unnecessary internet-connected ICS and OT devices to eliminate potential points of entry, and network monitoring to detect any suspicious activity or breaches [2]. These defenses can help bolster existing system defenses as well as lower the depth and likelihood of an attack taking place.

Relevance 

Water facilities are essential services crucial for the daily lives of UK citizens. Repeated cyber attacks put more pressure on the companies to protect themselves and put strain on public trust if they fail to deliver and protect their product. By implementing mitigation strategies, companies can prevent a breach from happening in the first place and continue providing water for the UK. Strengthening. Overall, cybersecurity resilience ensures the company is more compliant with UK standards and increases the systems ability to defend itself and repel attackers.

References 

[1] Bradbury, D. (2025, November 6). Cyberattacks on UK water systems reveal rising risks to critical infrastructure. Malwarebytes. https://www.malwarebytes.com/blog/news/2025/11/cyberattacks-on-uk-water-systems-reveal-rising-risks-to-critical-infrastructure

[2] Cluley, G. (2025, November 6). The rising tide of cyber-attacks against the UK water sector. Fortra. https://www.fortra.com/blog/rising-tide-cyber-attacks-against-uk-water-sector

[3] Jennings-Trace, E. (2025, November 4). Experts warn UK’s basic infrastructure at risk after hackers target drinking water suppliers. TechRadar. https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/experts-warn-uks-basic-infrastructure-at-risk-after-hackers-target-drinking-water-suppliers

[4] Martin, A. (2025, November 3). Hackers are attacking Britain’s drinking water suppliers. The Record. https://therecord.media/britain-water-supply-cybersecurity-incident-reports-dwi-nis