Acquisition

Dragos buys NetRise and runZero after Accenture takes majority stake

What's the deal? Operational technology security firm Dragos has acquired NetRise and runZero, folding both companies into its extended operational technology (xOT) platform. The deal terms were undisclosed. It follows the close of Accenture's majority investment in Dragos, which the company says supplies capital and global reach to scale its platform.

What each brings: runZero adds asset visibility and exposure management, pulling in existing IT, OT, and cloud asset data. NetRise adds visibility into device firmware and software, surfacing risks like outdated components and hardcoded credentials, and supporting compliance with NERC CIP, US$0.51, and TSA directives.

Why now? Earlier this year Dragos acquired Phosphorus to protect connected devices across operational networks. With runZero and NetRise, it now covers connected devices, networks, cloud, software supply chain, and the operational core in one platform.

The hires: runZero CEO HD Moore, NetRise CEO Thomas Pace, and NetRise chief technology officer Michael Scott join Dragos with their full teams to lead integration while serving existing customers. Chief executive officer Robert M. Lee was also named chairman of the board. Accenture executives Harpreet Sidhu, Luis Luque, and John Coltsmann join the board, alongside returning member Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and former chief technology officer of CrowdStrike.

What's the endgame? Dragos wants to let organisations defend every system that can influence a physical process. "NetRise, runZero, and Dragos defend it together," said Lee.

What could go wrong? Dragos says it will keep operating independently with vendor neutrality, a stance that matters for defending infrastructure built on systems from multiple providers — a promise now tested under Accenture majority ownership. The acquisitions also require integrating two teams and product lines into a single platform.

The signal: As industrial systems shed the old assumption of air-gapped isolation, the attack surface for critical infrastructure keeps widening. "Intrusions into OT networks have become a daily reality for critical infrastructure operators," said Alperovitch. Dragos's consolidation of device, firmware, and asset tools reflects a broader push to unify fragmented operational security under one roof.

Read more: business.theantlersamerican.com

Image credit: Generated with Gemini

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