Key points
- The Community Cyber Resilience Foundation will support up to 500 utilities in its first phase.
- Eligible organizations must be US-based and generate less than $100 million in annual revenue.
- Participants receive free Dragos Platform access, deployment services and SANS security training.
The short version
- Accenture, Dragos and SANS Institute announced the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation on Tuesday.
- The initiative aims to protect operational technology environments for water, electric and natural gas utilities.
- The first phase covers up to 500 utilities with free tools, equipment and training support.
The details
Accenture, Dragos and the SANS Institute announced the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation on Tuesday, according to SecurityWeek. The initiative targets under-resourced US water, electric and natural gas utilities that struggle to protect their operational technology environments. The partners are committing roughly $10 million in funding and services to start the program. This initial phase will cover up to 500 utilities, providing them with free security tools, necessary hardware, deployment assistance and staff training.
To qualify for this support, a utility must be based in the United States and have annual revenue under $100 million. The companies estimate that this financial threshold covers more than 50,000 organizations, which represents over 97% of all US utilities. Each participating organization will receive access to the Dragos Platform and related services. Accenture will handle the setup, integration and continued support for these deployments, while SANS will train utility staff in industrial control system security so they can manage defenses internally.
The foundation will also fund the hardware required to deploy and run the Dragos Platform. According to Industrial Cyber, Elastic is supporting the initiative by providing the primary log storage and query engine within the Dragos Platform, enabling software delivery at scale. The program will connect participants to a peer network of utilities that share operational experience and best practices.
The context
The partners stated that many small utilities face limited funding, workforce shortages and aging technology, particularly those serving rural or underserved communities. They cited recent attacks on more than 100 US water systems across over a dozen states as evidence of the threat landscape. Dragos CEO Robert M. Lee noted that adversaries are aggressively targeting utilities and attacking operational environments that provide life-sustaining services, yet many small operators lack the capacity to defend against these threats.
This foundation builds on the Dragos Community Defense Program, which launched in December 2023. That earlier program provided more than 100 utilities with free access to the Dragos Platform, targeting US utilities with less than $100 million in annual revenue. The announcement of the new foundation comes four months after Accenture agreed to acquire a majority stake in Dragos. That deal was part of an operational technology cybersecurity push valued at roughly $4.1 billion.
What to watch
- The selection process for the first 500 utilities eligible for the program.
- How the peer network of utilities will share operational experience and threat intelligence.
- Whether additional funding or phases will be announced to cover the remaining eligible organizations.
- The impact of the Elastic integration on log storage and query capabilities within the platform.
What it means for organisations
Organisations should assess their current operational technology security posture against industry standards. Leadership needs to evaluate whether internal teams have the skills to manage advanced security tools or if external support is required. Departments should review vendor contracts to understand integration capabilities and support levels. It is crucial to identify gaps in hardware and software resources that may hinder effective defense. Teams usually benefit from establishing clear communication channels between IT and OT staff to ensure coordinated response efforts.
What to do and how to stay safe: Accenture
- Review current operational technology assets to identify critical systems that require enhanced protection.
- Assess internal staff capabilities to determine if additional training or external support is needed for security management.
- Monitor official announcements from industry groups for eligibility criteria and application deadlines for support programs.
- Ensure that existing security tools are properly configured and that logs are being collected for potential analysis.
Step-by-step guide: Secure Home Routers for Small Business Networks
General security guidance from the TechSec Headlines newsroom. It is not confirmed advice from the organisations named in this story.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for the Community Cyber Resilience Foundation?
US-based water, wastewater, electric or natural gas utilities with annual revenue under $100 million are eligible.
What does the initiative provide to participants?
Participants receive free security tools, hardware, deployment help and training from Accenture, Dragos and SANS.
How much funding is being committed initially?
The partners are committing roughly $10 million in funding and services to start the program.
