Dragos has acquired connected device security firm Phosphorus, in a move the company says will extend its operational technology (OT) cybersecurity platform to cover the broader “extended operational technology” (xOT) environment.
In its announcement, Dragos said operational environments now span traditional OT systems as well as a growing number of connected devices used across power grids, pipelines, manufacturing facilities and data centres. The company describes this expanded footprint as xOT, arguing defenders require greater visibility and control as adversaries operate across a wider set of assets.
The acquisition is intended to add device discovery and remediation capabilities to Dragos’ platform, including deeper visibility into connected devices and automated workflows such as password rotations, firmware updates, certificate management and configuration hardening.
“The connected devices you find everywhere in critical infrastructure are largely invisible to the cybersecurity programs that protect operational environments,” said Robert M. Lee, CEO and co-founder of Dragos. “With Phosphorus, we close that gap and secure xOT, the full environment that matters.”
“We built Phosphorus to solve the connected device problem – the unmanaged devices, the default credentials, the firmware no one was updating. Together with Dragos, we can solve it with a depth and scale that wasn’t possible before. That’s what the next generation of OT cybersecurity looks like,” said Sonu Shankar, president and COO of Phosphorus.
Dragos said its customers will receive expanded asset visibility and integrated device intelligence in the near term, with automated remediation workflows and a unified platform experience to follow. Phosphorus customers will continue to be supported as integration progresses.
Shankar will continue to lead the Phosphorus business as a general manager within Dragos under a “structured, phased integration”, according to the announcement.
Dragos also referenced its October 2024 acquisition of Network Perception, which added OT network visibility, segmentation validation and compliance capabilities to its platform. The company positioned the Phosphorus acquisition as complementary, with Network Perception focusing on network architecture and Phosphorus focusing on devices connected to those networks.
Dragos said it estimates its total addressable market at more than $50 billion, citing third-party market research.
