WCW24

C.E.C. Analytics is addressing the growing worldwide demand for analysis and understanding of water as it relates to One Health. With increasing awareness of the challenges of waterborne pathogens and chemical contaminants, C.E.C. analytics is uniquely positioned to service numerous horizontal and vertical markets and establish itself as the leader in affordable, accessible, science-based solutions for understanding water data. The emphasis on compact, versatile products coupled with advisory services distinguishes C.E.C. Analytics from competitors. Our patented autosamplers allow for targeted wastewater based surveillance (WBS), giving high-quality, actionable data that organizations can leverage to better support community and environmental health. As opposed to WBS at WWTP's, we collect at the source, providing data at the building, dormitory, floor, or ward level. The data obtained allows for tailored interventions, saving our clients time, money, and uncertainty. Similarly, our compact size and ease of use allows for strategic water collection within freshwater systems, with analysis for contaminants of emerging concern. This presentation will provide an overview of our work, including: - Advanced warning to mitigate outbreaks of respiratory virus infections (RSV, Influenza A&B, SARS-CoV-2, etc), including analysis and confirmation within 1 hour; - Early detection of drug poisoning agents to enable harm reduction through preparation and education of staff and residents at homeless facilities. These drug poisoning agents were under limits of detection at the local WWTP; - Environmental monitoring for contaminants, including 6PPD-quinone which has been shown to have devastating effects on salmon and trout populations. Our work has been validated through projects with the Public Health Agency of Canada, Health Canada, the University of Calgary, the University of Alberta, as well as several First Nations communities across western Canada.

This presentation is an updated version of a briefing Waterfall has provided to a dozen government agencies to date, in Canada, the USA and around the world. We start with the Waterfall Threat Report, the most conservative and incontrovertible OT security incident report on the planet. In spite of its conservatism, the 2023 report shows exponential growth in cyber attacks that impair physical operations, including in the water sector. The 2024 edition is scheduled to release in April of 2024. In this briefing, Rees Machtemes will include a preview of the data and conclusions of the 2024 report-in-progress. The presentation then shifts gears from problem to solution, presenting an overview of the US DOE's initiative at Idaho National Laboratory, developing a Cyber Informed Engineering (CIE) body of knowledge. In layman's terms, CIE positions managing cyber risk to critical infrastructures as "a coin with two sides." One "side" is cybersecurity - teach engineering teams about cyber risks and cybersecurity mitigations - nothing new here. The other "side" is engineering - use powerful engineering tools, such as mechanical overpressure-relief valves and manual operations fallbacks to take entire classes of cyber risk off the table. These tools do not exist in IEC 62443, ISO 27001 or other cybersecurity guidance, the tools are powerful methods of addressing cyber risk, and they need to start being applied much more universally and systematically than they are today. We finish the presentation with an introduction to network engineering from Andrew's new book "Engineering-Grade OT Security: A manager's guide." The book "flies high and slow," introducing in a story-telling style important OT, risk, cybersecurity and engineering concepts that today's business decision-makers need in order to fulfill their due-care responsibilities to their stakeholders and to the public. Network engineering is positioned as living at the boundary between engineering and cybersecurity bodies of knowledge, deterministically protecting reliable operations as well as protecting safe operations in the face of nation-state-grade ransomware and other cyber threats. Free copies of the new book will be available to conference participants, courtesy of Waterfall Security Solutions.