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
COLUMBUS, Ohio, October 20, 2026--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.
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 by American 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."