Accenture, Dragos and SANS Institute Launch Foundation to Strengthen Cyber Defenses for Under-Resourced U.S. Utilities
- Approximately $10 million in initial funding and services will support essential services relied on by more than 100 million Americans
- Initiative will provide technology, deployment services and training at no cost to up to 500 under-resourced utilities
Accenture (NYSE: ACN), Dragos Inc. and the SANS Institute today announced a major initiative to help strengthen cyber defenses for under-resourced U.S. water, electric and natural gas utilities. These utilities provide essential services but often lack resources for adequate protection for their operational technology (OT) environments. The announcement comes amid a recent surge in cyberattacks targeting more than 100 U.S. water systems across over a dozen states.
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Accenture, Dragos Inc. and the SANS Institute today announced a major initiative to help strengthen cyber defenses for under-resourced U.S. water, electric and natural gas utilities.
In its first phase, the initiative will provide cybersecurity software, hardware, deployment services and SANS training free of charge to up to 500 under-resourced utilities. Accenture, Dragos and SANS are making an initial combined commitment of approximately $10 million in funding and services. In addition, Elastic is supporting the initiative through technology that allows for software delivery at scale by providing the primary log storage and query engine within the Dragos Platform.
Many of the tens of thousands of small utilities across the U.S., particularly those serving rural or underserved communities, face limited funding, workforce shortages and aging technology. This leaves the pumps, valves, substations and distribution networks that support essential services vulnerable to cyberattacks that can threaten public safety.
To address this gap, Accenture, Dragos and SANS are launching the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation to provide eligible utilities with OT cybersecurity technology, deployment support, hardware and training. The initiative builds on the Dragos Community Defense Program, which provides more than 100 utilities with free access to the Dragos Platform. The foundation was announced at a roundtable discussion focused on strengthening the cybersecurity of utilities in Ohio, hosted byAmerican Electric Power (AEP) subsidiary Ohio Power Company, Accenture and Dragos.
“Our work with America’s critical infrastructure operators has shown both the gravity of the cyber threats they face and a widening vulnerability gap—between large operators with the resources to invest in cybersecurity and smaller utilities that often lack those means,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “Together with Dragos and SANS, we will provide under-resourced utilities with the technology, expertise and training they need to better power and protect the communities they serve.”
“Adversaries are aggressively targeting utilities, attacking the operational environments that provide life-sustaining services to millions of Americans. Yet many small operators lack the capacity to defend against these threats,” said Robert M. Lee, Chairman, CEO, and Founder of Dragos. “The Community Cyber Resilience Foundation gives the utilities that need it most access to cybersecurity resources and training at no cost.”
Who qualifies, how to apply
Eligible participants include U.S. based water, wastewater, electric and natural gas utilities with less than $100 million in annual revenue. More than 97% of utilities fall below this threshold, representing more than 50,000 organizations that may need support. Participants can expect:
- Access to the Dragos Platform and services to help organizations know what’s on their networks and how to address vulnerabilities and threats. Elasticsearch provides the underlying log storage and search capabilities that help Dragos deliver the platform at scale to participating utilities.
- Accenture deployment services including expert configuration, integration and ongoing support.
- SANS ICS/OT training to build and sustain in-house capabilities.
- Hardware and infrastructure funding to purchase the equipment needed to deploy and run the Dragos Platform.
- Peer community access connecting participants to a network of utilities sharing operational experience.
“The best security technology in the world won’t protect a utility if its staff are not able to use it. The foundation puts training and skills in the hands of the people protecting the water, power, natural gas, and wastewater treatment systems that communities rely on,” said James Lyne, CEO, SANS.
“Strong cybersecurity depends on many technologies working together. Elastic is committed to supporting Dragos in delivering its platform at scale, helping make advanced cybersecurity capabilities accessible to utilities that could not otherwise afford them,” said Ashutosh Kulkarni, CEO, Elastic.
Utilities interested in participating can learn more at https://www.ccrfoundation.org/.
About the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation
The Community Cyber Resilience Foundation is a nonprofit launched by Accenture, Dragos, and the SANS Institute. It raises and provides the funding, hardware, deployment services, and training that small, under-resourced utilities in the U.S. need to secure their operational technology environments. Visit https://www.ccrfoundation.org/.
About Accenture
Accenture is a business reinvention and technology company. Our ambition is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. Our approximately 814,000 people bring deep insights across industries and functions, with capabilities spanning strategy, process, operating model, change management, talent, data, technology and AI. We deliver this expertise through consulting, managed services, proprietary assets and platforms, and increasingly, software. We bring innovation and new solutions informed by our experience across industries, enabling us to apply relevant insights, capabilities and leading practices from adjacent sectors to address emerging business challenges and opportunities. We serve more than 9,000 clients and generated revenues of approximately $74 billion in fiscal year 2026. Visit us at accenture.com.
About Dragos
Dragos is the global leader in extended operational technology (xOT) cybersecurity, delivering on its mission to safeguard civilization. The Dragos Platform delivers asset visibility, continuous monitoring, OT vulnerability management, segmentation validation, device protection, and real-time threat detection, powered by the industry’s most experienced OT threat intelligence and incident response team. Dragos serves critical sectors such as energy, manufacturing, water, transportation, data centers, mining, and ports. Privately held and headquartered in the Washington, DC area, Dragos operates globally across North America, EMEA, and APAC. Visit dragos.com.
About SANS Institute
The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. Today, SANS is the most trusted and, by far, the largest provider of cybersecurity training and certification to professionals in government and commercial institutions worldwide. Renowned SANS instructors teach more than 85 courses at in-person and virtual cybersecurity events and OnDemand. GIAC, an affiliate of the SANS Institute, validates practitioner skills through more than 50 hands-on technical certifications in cybersecurity.
Forward Looking Statement
Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “likely,” “anticipates,” “aspires,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “believes,” “estimates,” “positioned,” “outlook,” “goal,” “target” and similar expressions are used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance nor promises that goals or targets will be met, and involve a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that are difficult to predict and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. These risks include, without limitation, that the partnership might not achieve its anticipated benefits and risks and uncertainties related to the development and use of AI, including advanced AI, could harm our business, damage our reputation or give rise to legal or regulatory action, as well as the risks, uncertainties and other factors discussed under the “Risk Factors” heading in Accenture plc’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this news release speak only as of the date they were made, and Accenture undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made in this news release or to conform such statements to actual results or changes in Accenture’s expectations.
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Alison Geib
Accenture
+1 703 947 4404
alison.geib@accenture.com
Marco Amaya
Accenture
+1 703 947 4134
marco.amaya@accenture.com
Joanne Rasch
Dragos
press@dragos.com
Leslie Kesselring
Dragos
leslie@kesscomm.com
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