IT: The Backbone of SMWD’s Innovation and Security

While much of the Santa Margarita Water District's innovation happens underground, many of the systems that make it possible are powered by technology behind the scenes. Led by IT Manager Dustin Navarro, the District's Information Technology team has strengthened its digital foundation-achieving an impressive 89% Microsoft Secure Score, far exceeding industry averages. This benchmark reflects SMWD's commitment to cybersecurity, ensuring customer data, critical infrastructure, and staff operations remain protected and resilient in the face of rising digital threats. Through proactive monitoring, real-time telemetry, and threat response, SMWD's IT team plays a vital, if often invisible, role in keeping the District safe and fully operational.

In addition to bolstering security, the IT team is powering forward-looking initiatives like GIS-integrated asset management, which enables data-driven infrastructure decisions and award-winning trenchless rehab projects. These efforts have transformed inherited systems into intelligent, efficient networks. Whether modernizing legacy assets or safeguarding the District's digital future, SMWD's IT team continues to quietly lead with excellence and innovation.

What is Microsoft Secure Score in Azure?
Microsoft Secure Score (sometimes called Azure Secure Score) is a numerical indicator-expressed as a percentage-that reflects how well an organization has implemented Microsoft's recommended security controls across its Azure resources. It's based on remediation of built-in recommendations aligned with the Azure Cloud Security Benchmark (MCSB). Higher scores indicate stronger alignment and lower exposure to risk.

Dustin explains, "Our Microsoft Secure Score of 89% means the District has implemented nearly all of Microsoft's key security recommendations for Azure. Compared to typical Azure cloud environments-many in the 40-60% range-this places us firmly in the 'strong' category. In the water sector, many (peers) score well below this level, our position reflects a mature, proactive security posture. This boosts confidence with regulators, insurers, and supply chain partners, and gives you clear reassurance that your data and infrastructure are being managed with best-practice cybersecurity standards."

The IT team uses advanced security platforms to collect telemetry-automated signals from devices and systems that report on activity and health. This data is analyzed in real time to detect and respond to suspicious behavior. Dustin Navarro says, "Each 'event' tells a part of the story, and our tools assemble the full picture to protect our infrastructure. It's how we track, prevent, and report on cyber threats-and how we ensure our Secure Score stays among the highest in our sector." The Microsoft Secure score is only one of many other platforms and devices Dustin's team tracks events on, for security purposes. The team also continuously monitors every District device, account, and system. It's quite the undertaking.