Industrial control systems (ICS) provider Dragos has made a significant move in the cybersecurity space by acquiring Network Perception to enhance its threat detection and visualization capabilities for operational technology (OT) environments. This strategic acquisition comes at a time when cybersecurity threats in critical infrastructure are on the rise, making robust protection a necessity for organizations.
Since its establishment in 2016, Dragos has established itself as a key player in safeguarding ICS systems. With a substantial $440 million raised in Series D funding and a workforce of over 400 employees, Dragos has been at the forefront of developing innovative solutions to combat cyber threats targeting industrial systems. In contrast, Network Perception, the company Dragos has acquired, is relatively smaller with 27 employees and has received funding primarily through Series A sources in 2022.
The acquisition of Network Perception by Dragos is aimed at bridging the gap in the Dragos threat intelligence platform, particularly in terms of network visibility, compliance monitoring, segmentation analytics, and reporting for large electric utilities. Network Perception’s NP-View tool offers a unique approach by focusing on ingesting configuration files from firewalls, routers, and switches in OT networks to model complex environments and identify potential pathways and vulnerabilities.
The roots of Network Perception trace back to its incubation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) cybersecurity research lab approximately a decade ago. Co-founder and CEO Robin Berthier highlights the company’s pivotal role in the electric industry as a leader in OT network visibility and segmentation analysis, endorsed by industry regulators such as the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).
Berthier emphasizes that NP-View’s ability to model network traffic and potential threats offers a level of insight that surpasses human comprehension, particularly in understanding the intricacies of firewalls and access policies. By integrating Network Perception’s capabilities into the Dragos platform, customers can expect enhanced visualization, risk assessment, and compliance support to bolster their cybersecurity posture in the face of evolving threats.
Moreover, industry experts foresee the acquisition benefiting Dragos by enhancing its cyber resilience, compliance capabilities, and risk mitigation efforts. Hollie Hennessy, principal analyst for IoT cybersecurity at Omdia, underscores the importance of automation in addressing compliance challenges faced by OT organizations and the value of micro segmentation in reducing risks and enriching preventative measures.
Dragos has outlined plans to integrate NP-View into its platform and extend its offerings to customers in adjacent OT sectors beyond the electric industry. The company’s field technology officer, Phil Tonkin, acknowledges the expanding customer base encompassing a diverse range of industries, signaling the relevance of Dragos’ solutions across various critical infrastructure sectors.
While this acquisition marks only the second for Dragos, the company remains open to potential future acquisitions that align with its strategic goals. However, at present, Dragos’s primary focus is on leveraging the strengths gained from integrating Network Perception into its portfolio to enhance its capabilities in safeguarding industrial control systems.
In conclusion, Dragos’s acquisition of Network Perception signifies a significant step towards strengthening cybersecurity defenses for critical infrastructure, underscoring the importance of collaboration and innovation in combating evolving cyber threats targeting industrial systems. The consolidation of expertise and technology from both companies is poised to deliver comprehensive solutions that address the complex security challenges faced by organizations operating in OT environments.