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In an era where ransomware can shut down hospitals and schools, and foreign adversaries probe our infrastructure daily, water systems remain among the most vulnerable sectors in the United States. That’s why New York’s proposed cybersecurity regulations for water and wastewater utilities are both timely and essential. They provide a model for other states and a rallying cry for national action.

Announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul in July, the proposal requires public water systems to adopt basic cyber........

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