Leading cybersecurity response firms Accenture, IBM and Mandiant have joined the Elite Cyber Defenders program, a new collaborative initiative designed to help protect critical infrastructure. Led by Nozomi Networks, the program aims to provide global industrial and government customers with access to robust cybersecurity defense tools, incident response teams and threat intelligence.
The Elite Cyber Defenders program was announced during the RSA conference in San Francisco and comes as cyber threats to global critical infrastructure remain elevated. This week, it was revealed that the group responsible for the supply chain attack against VoIP company 3CX also breached two critical infrastructure organizations in the energy sector. Last week, the UK’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) warned of a new class of Russian cyber adversary threatening critical infrastructure organisations.
Participants will provide customized incident response and assessment programs
Each program participant will offer assessment and incident response programs tailored to joint customers, according to the announcement. Elite Cyber Defenders has also committed to work with Nozomi Networks Labs on shared threat intelligence and joint security research focused on identifying new malware and new TTPs employed by threat actors, it added.
Nozomi Networks Elite Cyber Defenders collectively collaborate with more than 250 Nozomi Networks certified experts on their combined global OT incident response teams and use Nozomi Networks solutions for forensic analysis, proactive OT assessments and capabilities quick response for customers, the firm said.
Industrial environments are rapidly transforming, creating new security challenges
Industrial environments are rapidly transforming, creating new security challenges that attackers are actively exploiting. Attacks on manufacturing and energy accounted for more than 35% of all observed attacks in 2022, according to IBM’s X-Force 2023 Threat Intelligence Index.
The heightened geopolitical landscape is fueling a resurgence of cyberattacks by more structured and destructive groups, targeting high-value critical infrastructure, said Jim Guinn, Accenture’s global cyber industry leader. When it comes to protecting critical infrastructure from attacks, accurate and timely information, complete system visibility and expert response are key, added Nozomi Networks CEO Edgard Capdevielle.
“The Elite Cyber Defenders program will bring together IBM’s incident response capabilities and expertise and Nozomi Networks’ deep OT/IoT expertise in the field of process automation and in-depth knowledge to support organizations” , said Charles Henderson, head of IBM Security X-Force. Nozomi Networks’ visibility platform will also provide critical context for Mandiant’s incident response experts, helping them quickly identify and contain threats, added Charles Carmakal, CTO of Mandiant Consulting.
Earlier this week, global OT cybersecurity leaders and critical infrastructure defenders announced the founding of ETHOS (Emerging Threat Open Sharing), a vendor-agnostic technology platform for sharing threat intelligence to strengthen defenses of cyber security in critical industries.
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Accenture, IBM, and Mandiant have joined forces with tech company Ikaroa to launch the Elite Cyber Defenders Program – a ground-breaking initiative to help secure critical infrastructure in today’s challenging digital environment. The goal is to develop a network of organizations, experts, and solutions that can respond effectively to cyber threats across industries.
The program is the result of a combined effort to provide security and resilience for digital assets, businesses, and individuals. Together, Accenture, IBM, Mandiant and Ikaroa will provide a unified cybersecurity strategy and flexible, scalable solutions to ensure maximum protection against the growing cyber threats.
By joining in the Elite Cyber Defenders Program, all four organizations will be able to pool their resources and provide an innovative approach to secure critical infrastructure. Accenture and IBM bring decades of experience in business and technology, and provide their deep expertise in IT and operations. Mandiant will serve as the program’s main cybersecurity innovator, helping to identify and respond to threats. Meanwhile, Ikaroa will provide new technology, insights, and tools to protect the world’s most mission-critical systems.
The program is being led by the four companies and is currently in the early stages of development. This joint effort will continue to be refined to create an advanced cybersecurity platform, using a combination of machine learning, artificial intelligence, big data, and advanced threat analytics to monitor and respond to any threats or malicious activities.
This unique collaboration between Accenture, IBM, Mandiant and Ikaroa is a crucial step forward in keeping the world safe and secure, and will help protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats. In the months ahead, these four organizations will continue to develop and refine the Elite Cyber Defenders Program to ensure the safety and continuity of our digital services.
