● Covered by 2 sources · 2 reportsMedium impact2 neutral
Accenture, Dragos, SANS Launch $10M Initiative to Secure Small US Utilities
Key points
- Foundation launched by Accenture, Dragos, SANS Institute.
- $10 million in funding and services provided.
- Targets US utilities with under $100 million annual revenue.
- Offers free Dragos Platform, setup, and SANS training.
- The initiative is named the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation.
- The program targets water, wastewater, electric, and natural gas utilities.
- The program is available to up to 500 utilities.
- Utilities with under $100 million annual revenue account for 97% of US utilities.
- Accenture will assist with deploying and configuring tools, and provide ongoing support.
New Foundation for Utility Cybersecurity
Accenture, Dragos, and the SANS Institute announced the creation of the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation. This initiative is designed to assist under-resourced US water, electric, and natural gas utilities in securing their operational technology (OT) environments.
The founding organizations are contributing approximately $10 million in initial funding and services. The first phase of the program will support up to 500 utilities, providing them with free security tools, equipment, deployment assistance, and training.
Eligibility and Services Provided
To qualify for the program, utilities must be based in the US and have an annual revenue under $100 million. This criterion is estimated to cover over 50,000 organizations, representing more than 97% of US utilities.
Each participating utility will receive the Dragos Platform and associated services. Accenture will manage the setup, integration, and ongoing support, while SANS Institute will deliver ICS/OT security training to utility staff, enabling them to manage their defenses internally. The foundation will also fund necessary hardware for deploying the Dragos Platform and connect participants to a peer network for operational experience sharing.
Addressing Industry Challenges
The initiative addresses the challenges faced by many small utilities, including limited funding, workforce shortages, and aging technology infrastructure, particularly in rural and underserved communities. Recent cyberattacks on over 100 US water systems across more than a dozen states highlight the vulnerability of these critical infrastructures.
Dragos CEO Robert M. Lee stated that adversaries are actively targeting utilities, which provide essential services, but many small operators lack the capacity to defend against these threats.
Building on Existing Programs
This new foundation expands upon the existing Dragos Community Defense Program, which launched in December 2023. That program already provides free access to the Dragos Platform for over 100 US utilities with less than $100 million in annual revenue.
The announcement follows Accenture's agreement four months prior to acquire a majority stake in Dragos, part of a larger OT cybersecurity investment valued at approximately $4.1 billion.
Updates
- The initiative is named the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation.
- The program targets water, wastewater, electric, and natural gas utilities.
- The program is available to up to 500 utilities.
- Utilities with under $100 million annual revenue account for 97% of US utilities.
- Accenture will assist with deploying and configuring tools, and provide ongoing support.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Accenture, Dragos, and the SANS Institute launched the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation, a $10 million initiative providing free cybersecurity software, hardware, deployment, and training to up to 500 under-resourced U.S. utilities. This program addresses the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of smaller utilities, which are frequently targeted by cyberattacks and often lack the resources to defend themselves.
Accenture, Dragos, and SANS Institute established the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation with $10 million in funding and services to help small US utilities protect their operational technology environments. This initiative provides free security tools, deployment assistance, and training to up to 500 qualifying utilities, addressing their limited resources and increasing cyber threats.