Industry Coalition Forms to Protect US Infrastructure

Nine major companies—including JPMorgan Chase, AT&T, and Southern Company—launched the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure (ACI) in February to improve cybersecurity coordination across essential US services. The group formed as some infrastructure operators lost confidence in the federal government’s ability to provide support after budget cuts and leadership changes at agencies like CISA. ACI intends to fill the resulting void, building on the work of the earlier Tri-Sector Executive Working Group.

The ACI will focus on analyzing how different sectors depend on each other, preparing for widespread “polycrisis” events, and sharing information about threats. They plan to publish a white paper detailing cross-sector dependencies and collaborate with existing sector coordinating councils and information sharing centers. However, the alliance acknowledges limitations, including the need for continued government partnership and the challenges of operating without the legal protections previously offered by the disbanded Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council.

ACI leaders emphasize that while private companies manage most US infrastructure, a truly wide-ranging crisis requires collaborative planning. The group is now defining pilot projects and reviewing membership applications, prioritizing organizations with the resources to contribute meaningfully to the effort.