South East Water, a major Victorian water retailer serving 1.8 million people across South-East Melbourne to Gippsland, is proactively addressing cybersecurity risks by creating a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) role. The move follows heightened national concerns over cyber threats targeting critical infrastructure, particularly utilities like water treatment plants. While the article does not detail a specific breach, the recruitment underscores vulnerabilities in operational technology (OT) and IT systems that manage fresh water, recycled water, and sewage services.A successful cyber attack on such infrastructure could disrupt essential services, compromise public health, or even lead to contamination of water supplies—posing risks of injury or fatalities if treatment processes are sabotaged. The company’s emphasis on protecting 'sensitive and private information' and 'security of people, data, and assets' suggests awareness of threats like ransomware, state-sponsored attacks, or OT-targeted malware, which could paralyze operations. The CISO’s mandate to align security with technology strategies highlights the urgency of mitigating risks that could escalate to life-threatening or geopolitical consequences if exploited by adversaries.