Dragos expands collaboration with Microsoft

The collaboration focuses on the integration of Dragos functions into Microsoft's cloud and security platforms. By operating the 'Dragos Platform' on 'Microsoft Azure', the connection to 'Microsoft Sentinel' and the simplified availability via the Microsoft Marketplace, IT and OT security processes can be linked more closely together. At the same time, operating environments receive robust protection mechanisms that are specially tailored to their requirements.

"With increasing connectivity and the ever-increasing use of AI in physical operational processes, there is growing pressure on more and more organizations to modernize their systems without taking on additional security risks," said Robert M. Lee, CEO and co-founder of Dragos. "Microsoft recognizes both the scale and strategic importance of operational technology security. By tightly integrating the Dragos platform into the Microsoft ecosystem, we are enabling customers to drive their digital transformation with confidence without sacrificing the specialized protections that operational environments require. This collaboration represents a shared commitment to the long-term cyber resilience of the systems that power and evolve our world."

"By tightly integrating the Dragos platform with Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Sentinel, we offer industrial and energy customers a streamlined way to unify IT and OT security processes across the environments they already use," said Darryl Willis, corporate vice president for the energy and resources industry at Microsoft. "The collaboration will help asset-intensive industries accelerate cloud and AI innovation while strengthening the security, reliability and resilience of the critical systems that power businesses and communities."

Increased need for specialized protection

With the ongoing digitalization of operational processes, the increased networking of physical systems and the use of AI, operational environments are increasingly being targeted by attackers. Security, availability and reliability are top priorities in these areas in particular. Attack timeframes have shortened from months to weeks, in some cases even days, while the potential impact of OT cyber incidents continues to grow. According to MarketsandMarkets, the global market for OT security is expected to grow from 23.5 billion US dollars in 2025 to 50.3 billion US dollars in 2030, which corresponds to an annual growth rate of 16.5%.

Securing cyber-physical systems requires capabilities that go beyond traditional IT security. This includes deep visibility into industrial protocols, system-specific threat detection and OT-specific visibility into what attackers are actually doing. The collaboration addresses the on-premises OT security needs of Microsoft customers while enabling Dragos to expand its cloud reach. This creates a flexible deployment that supports different infrastructure requirements. As a Microsoft partner, Dragos offers capabilities that have long been needed by organizations looking to modernize their operations without taking on unacceptable operational risk.