ST. PAUL, MINN. (Oct. 12, 2026) — Minnesota earned national recognition for its coordinated response to cyber incidents affecting community water systems in July 2026. 

SecurityWeek honored Minnesota with the 2026 Critical Impact Award for Best ICS Incident Response. ICS refers to industrial control systems, which help operate critical infrastructure such as water systems. 

“Protecting critical infrastructure takes all of us,” said John Israel, Minnesota’s Chief Information Security Officer. “This award recognizes the people who stepped up, shared their expertise and worked together when Minnesota communities needed them. That’s the strength of a whole-of-Minnesota response.” 

During the July 26–27 incidents, Minnesota mounted a “Whole-of-Minnesota” response to contain malicious cyber activity, support recovery and reduce further risk. The effort brought together MNIT’s Cyber Navigators and Security Operations Center; the Minnesota Department of Health; the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency; the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and Minnesota Fusion Center; the Minnesota National Guard’s C3 team; local water system operators; and the League of Minnesota Cities. Federal officials from the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency also worked closely with Minnesota responders. Together, these teams and other contributors combined cybersecurity expertise and water system operations to help communities protect essential services. 

“We’re proud to recognize Minnesota’s exceptional work responding to cybersecurity incidents and reducing their impact on critical infrastructure,” said SecurityWeek spokesperson Brian Schleifer. 

The award honors the cybersecurity professionals, water system operators and agency teams who worked together to support affected communities. Their efforts underscore the importance of coordination and preparedness in protecting Minnesota’s critical infrastructure.