Dispel opens utility cybersecurity program for small water and electric systems

Dispel launched a Community Power & Water Program at the APPA Cybersecurity & Technology Summit in San Antonio to give small utilities enterprise-grade remote access and cyber controls without an infrastructure overhaul. The company is targeting water and electric systems that face rising attacks but often lack dedicated security teams or budgets.

Why it matters: - Small water and electric utilities are facing the same kind of cyber threat as larger operators, but with far fewer staff, tools and dollars. - The new program is designed to help utilities block internet exposure, control vendor access and reduce the chance of outages or equipment lockouts. - Approved applicants get special pricing aimed at smaller utility budgets.

What happened: - Dispel announced the Community Power & Water Program at the American Public Power Association's Cybersecurity & Technology Summit in San Antonio. - The program extends Dispel's secure remote access capabilities to small water and electric utilities. - Utility staff can deploy the system without a major infrastructure overhaul. - Dispel said the system can ringfence a utility environment in a single work shift. - Utilities attending the summit can meet the Dispel team on-site or apply online at the program application.

The details: - The program is built for small teams that need remote access to troubleshoot equipment, monitor plants and handle day-to-day operations. - Dispel says the access model helps a utility avoid sending workers onsite for every fix, which can reduce downtime for ratepayers. - The company says most utilities already use some form of remote access, but few use solutions that meet a U.S. cybersecurity baseline. - Dispel's approach replaces open access routes with a single controlled and continuously monitored pathway. - The dashboard includes self-service vendor onboarding, built-in compliance reporting and access requests routed to equipment owners. - The program is intended to reduce administrative burden for teams that do not have dedicated security staff. - Dispel said approved applicants receive pricing structured for even the smallest utility budgets.

Between the lines: - The launch follows a wave of concern around internet-exposed industrial control systems in municipal water operations. - In late July 2026, more than 30 Minnesota municipal water utilities reported cyberattacks within about 48 hours. - Investigators found attackers used internet-exposed programmable logic controllers, default or missing credentials and direct configuration changes. - Federal guidance has emphasized removing internet-facing exposure as a top control for reducing this risk. - The broader issue is structural: most of the nation's water and wastewater systems, and many electric cooperatives, are run by small teams without cybersecurity specialists. - Enterprise OT security products often assume longer deployment cycles and larger budgets than small utilities can support.

What's next: - Dispel is positioning the program as a path for utilities to move from reactive security to proactive risk reduction. - The company is encouraging small utilities to apply now, especially those that need faster deployment and lower-cost access controls. - More utilities beyond Minnesota may continue to report similar incidents as response efforts unfold.

The bottom line: - Dispel is trying to make advanced OT security usable for the smallest utilities first, not the biggest ones.