Dragos launches OT cybersecurity program in Canada for small utilities

Dragos Inc. has launched its Community Defense Program in Canada, offering free access to Operational technology (OT) cybersecurity software tailored for small utility providers operating under $140M CAN in annual revenue. The program assists essential sectors, such as water, electric, and gas services, in enhancing their cybersecurity capabilities against various threats.

The initiative, which originated in the U.S. in December 2023, targets utilities that typically lack sufficient resources to secure their operational environments from adversarial threats, including ransomware and state-sponsored attacks. This expansion into Canada is supported by a partnership with Elastic, facilitating the program's growth.

The Dragos Community Defense Program offers Canadian utilities components that include:

• Dragos Platform for monitoring, threat detection, vulnerability management, and digital forensics.
• Neighborhood Keeper for collective threat visibility and proactive analytics.
• Dragos Academy for on-demand training in OT cybersecurity.
• Membership in OT-CERT for incident response support and threat intelligence sharing.

Robert M. Lee, CEO of Dragos, emphasized the importance of the program for smaller utilities in Canada, stating, “While larger industrial sectors in Canada like energy and manufacturing have been making investments in OT cybersecurity, the smaller utilities that provide critical services to their communities struggle to keep up with the changing threat landscape.”

Further collaboration involves VARS Corporation in Montreal, which aims to bring the program to qualifying utility providers. Maxime M. Boutin, Co-Founder, noted the program's significance in enhancing cybersecurity for Canada's critical infrastructure. The OT-CERT team provides educational resources to strengthen cybersecurity expertise among participants.

For utilities interested in applying for membership in the Dragos Community Defense Program, additional information can be found on their official website.