Accenture’s acquisition of RunZero, NetRise and a majority stake in Dragos are part of a bid to strengthen critical infrastructure with end-to-end cyber security in an age of AI-driven cyber threats.

Maryland-based Dragos provides a platform for operational technology cyber security. RunZero is an asset intelligence and exposure assessment company and fellow Texas firm NetRise specialises in device and software supply chain security.

Building on its $10bn cyber-security business, Irish consultancy Accenture aims to deliver end-to-end operational technology (OT) security for the critical infrastructure and industrial operations underpinning power grids, pipelines, manufacturing, distribution facilities and data centres. The Dragos platform will expand to cover the extended environment that controls physical processes, while Accenture’s deep OT security expertise, industrial datasets and decades of trusted relationships with critical infrastructure operators will address a need previously unaddressed at scale.

The addition of RunZero will bring exposure assessment and attack-surface intelligence. NetRise will add a software supply chain dataset and firmware-level visibility into device exposure. Combining Dragos with RunZero and NetRise should enhance visibility, accelerate threat detection and response, and strengthen Dragos’ ability to scale adoption of its broadened platform. Industrial and critical infrastructure operators will have one place to see everything on their OT network, understand what’s running on it and help stop what’s attacking it.

The expanding mix of critical assets, including industrial control systems, IoT, sensors, cloud-connected devices and related IT infrastructure, makes up the extended high-growth operational technology environment known as xOT. With operational environments more connected than ever, AI is being integrated into industrial decision-making in ways that will expand xOT environments further over the next several years.

AI is also being integrated into adversary operations in ways that compress the time between IT compromise and OT targeting. As geopolitical and AI-driven threats accelerate, most cyber-security budgets remain focused on IT, leaving critical infrastructure xOT environments exposed. To address this imbalance, businesses and governments need to invest in xOT cyber security that uses the right datasets to help defenders harness AI more effectively.

“In an age when AI-driven cyber threats and geopolitical risk are evolving at a rapid pace, our cyber-security practice is growing by double-digits and has a strong track record of leveraging inorganic opportunity to fuel organic growth,” said Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture (accenture.com). “Our clients across industries and regions are asking us how to be more proactive and integrated in their approach to cyber security. The addition of Dragos, complemented by RunZero and NetRise, fills this important need. We are confident Dragos’ differentiated OT platform will accelerate our growth in the critical infrastructure and industrial operations markets, driving long-term shareholder value through scaled adoption of advanced cyber-security capabilities.”

Led by Dragos co-founder and CEO Robert Lee, RunZero and NetRise will operate under Dragos, which will continue to function as an independent business. HD Moore, CEO of RunZero, Thomas Pace, CEO of NetRise and Michael Scott, chief technology officer at NetRise, will become Dragos executives.

“Our energy and water systems, manufacturing plants, data centres and other operational environments need cyber security built from the ground up for xOT and designed to keep pace as threats evolve,” said Lee. “The consequences of getting it wrong become societal threats. The addition of RunZero and NetRise will allow the Dragos platform to be a unique end-to-end platform for global defence, and Accenture will bring its decades of trusted relationships and deep expertise to help us scale and secure more critical infrastructure and physical operations globally.”

Together, Dragos (www.dragos.com), RunZero (www.runzero.com) and NetRise (www.netrise.io) are estimated to generate approximately $208m, representing 53% year-over-year growth. Accenture has entered agreements to acquire a majority stake in Dragos and 100% of RunZero and NetRise at a combined enterprise value of approximately $4.175bn. The transactions are expected to close in August or September this year.