Accenture Enhances Integrated Cybersecurity Platform to Support Critical Infrastructure Defense Against AI-Era Cyber Threats and Geopolitical Risks

Agrees to acquire majority stake in Dragos, a platform company leading in Operational Technology (OT) cybersecurity.

Agrees to acquire runZero, a leading company in asset intelligence and exposure management, and NetRise, a pioneer in device security and software supply chain security.

NEW YORK, [Date] – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) today announced it will acquire a majority stake in Dragos and acquire all of the shares of runZero and NetRise, further strengthening its $10 billion cybersecurity business. This will enhance its comprehensive Operational Technology (OT) security services for critical infrastructure and manufacturing/production operations, supporting power grids, pipelines, manufacturing and logistics facilities, and data centers. Dragos' platform covers the extended environment that controls physical processes. Building on Accenture's deep OT security expertise, unique industrial datasets, and decades of trusted relationships with critical infrastructure operators, this will further strengthen its ability to address new security challenges.

Dragos' industry-leading OT threat detection capabilities, highly reliable vendor-agnostic platform, and unique datasets will be further enhanced by the acquisitions of runZero and NetRise. The integration of runZero will expand comprehensive exposure assessment and attack surface intelligence capabilities. Furthermore, NetRise possesses unique software supply chain datasets and visualizes device exposure at the firmware level. By integrating runZero and NetRise into Dragos, Accenture will offer an integrated solution that provides visibility into the entire OT environment, accelerates threat detection and response, and promotes the adoption of the expanded Dragos platform. This will enable industrial and critical infrastructure operators to gain unified visibility across their OT networks, understand the operational status of assets running on their networks in real-time, and respond quickly and accurately to cyberattacks.

The extended OT environment, comprising diverse critical assets such as industrial control systems, IoT, sensors, cloud-connected devices, and related IT infrastructure, is referred to as 'xOT' and is a rapidly growing area of focus. As operational environments become increasingly connected, AI is being integrated into industrial decision-making processes, and the xOT environment is expected to expand further in the coming years. On the other hand, AI is also being leveraged by attackers, shortening the time from IT breaches to attacks targeting OT environments. Amidst increasing geopolitical risks and AI-driven cyber threats, a significant portion of cybersecurity budgets remains concentrated in the IT domain, leaving the xOT environment supporting critical infrastructure at serious risk. To rectify this investment imbalance, companies and government agencies must urgently develop appropriate datasets and invest in cybersecurity specifically for the xOT domain to enable defenders to leverage AI more effectively.

"As cyber threats and geopolitical risks leveraging AI rapidly become more sophisticated and complex, Accenture's cybersecurity business continues to achieve double-digit growth, further accelerating business growth through the pursuit of non-linear growth opportunities such as acquisitions," said Julie Sweet, Chair and CEO of Accenture. "Across industries and geographies, clients are increasingly looking for ways to strengthen their cybersecurity more quickly and holistically. By combining Dragos with runZero and NetRise, we can effectively address these urgent needs. We are confident that Dragos' differentiated OT platform will drive Accenture's growth in the critical infrastructure and manufacturing/production operations markets and contribute to long-term shareholder value creation through the expanded adoption of advanced cybersecurity."

Under the leadership of Dragos co-founder and CEO Robert M. Lee, runZero and NetRise will operate under Dragos (headquartered in Hanover, Maryland, with 580 employees). Dragos will continue to operate as an independent entity. Additionally, HD Moore, CEO of runZero (headquartered in Austin, Texas, with 66 employees), Thomas Pace, CEO of NetRise (headquartered in Austin, Texas, with 57 employees), and Michael Scott, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Scientist at NetRise, will join Dragos' leadership team.

"Operational environments such as energy and water systems, manufacturing facilities, and data centers require cybersecurity optimized for xOT that can respond to constantly evolving threats," said Robert M. Lee, co-founder and CEO of Dragos. "Any delay or deficiency in response can have serious implications for entire societal infrastructure. What companies need is not fragmented solutions composed of individual software and services, but integrated solutions. By integrating runZero and NetRise, Dragos' platform will evolve into a unique integrated platform that enables global defense. Furthermore, Accenture, leveraging its decades of trusted relationships with companies and extensive expertise, will further expand the scope of security for critical infrastructure and field operations worldwide."

Dragos has established extensive collaborative relationships with leading global technology companies, including cloud platform companies, cybersecurity software companies, and OT equipment manufacturers. Moving forward, Dragos will continue to support the operations of customers with multi-vendor environments while adhering to its vendor-agnostic product roadmap.

Track Record of Growth and Value Creation in Cybersecurity

Accenture's cybersecurity business revenue has grown dramatically from $700 million in 2016 to $10 billion in fiscal year 2025, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 35%, which is four times Accenture's overall CAGR during the same period.

With this acquisition, Accenture will further solidify its presence in the OT cybersecurity market. Accenture has already established a strong leadership position in the estimated $7 billion OT cybersecurity services market. With the expansion of software capabilities, the company will extend its business domain to the broader OT cybersecurity market, which is projected to grow to an estimated $27 billion by 2026 and approximately $59 billion by 2031 at a CAGR of about 16%.

Dragos, runZero, and NetRise are expected to reach a combined Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of approximately $208 million by June 2026, representing a 53% year-over-year increase. While these acquisitions will have a dilutive effect on earnings per share (EPS) and free cash flow in the short term due to their high gross profit margins, they are expected to contribute to revenue growth in the medium to long term. Through these acquisitions, Accenture aims to further strengthen its business foundation for sustainable growth.

Transaction Overview

Accenture has entered into agreements to acquire a majority stake in Dragos and all of the shares of runZero and NetRise. The enterprise value for this transaction is approximately $417.5 million, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in August or September 2026, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including the receipt of required regulatory approvals.

These acquisitions further strengthen Accenture's investments in the OT cybersecurity space over the past decade, including the acquisitions of Cimation in 2015, Revolutionary Security in 2020, as well as OT-focused companies such as Callisto, Electro 80, True North Solutions, and SYSTEMA.

About Accenture

Accenture is a leading global professional services company that helps the world's leading businesses, organizations and governments implement digital transformation and leverage the power of AI to drive rapid value creation and continuous transformation. With approximately 799,000 people and clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture combines its unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across more than 40 industries, and expertise in technology, data, engineering and operations—delivered through its unique network of advanced technology and thought leadership centers—to help clients achieve their ambitions. Accenture is committed to being the most trusted change partner for its clients, leading the safe and broad adoption of AI, and being the most client-focused, AI-enhanced, and fulfilling workplace. Accenture provides a consistent solution from strategy to execution and operation by bringing together its unique assets, platforms, processes, industry expertise, and strong ecosystem partnerships to create large-scale, tangible results. Through its "Reinvention Services," Accenture offers services based on advanced expertise in AI & Data, Industry & Operations, and Technology across a wide range of areas including Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry & Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain & Engineering, and Talent. Accenture serves approximately 9,000 clients worldwide and had revenues of approximately $70 billion for fiscal year 2025. For more information, visit www.accenture.com/us-en and www.accenture.com/jp-ja.

*Research commissioned by Accenture from a leading analyst firm MarketsandMarketsTM: "Operational Technology (OT) Security Market Report 2026–2031" (by solution, region, and technology)

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