Nearly fifty companies across six lifeline sectors join forces to strengthen national security and stand ready to support cross-industry and government efforts

The Alliance for Critical Infrastructure (ACI) today announced an expansion of its efforts to strengthen America’s physical and cyber resilience. ACI now brings together nearly fifty leading companies that operate many of the systems Americans rely on every day, across communications, energy, financial services, information technology, transportation, and water systems. Strong, secure and resilient critical infrastructure is essential to America’s economic growth, national competitiveness and continued global leadership.

By bringing together leaders from six lifeline sectors, ACI provides a unique forum to identify shared vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience across interconnected systems, support critical government efforts and secure critical supply chains. As AI becomes increasingly embedded across critical infrastructure, this cross-sector collaboration is essential to addressing risks that no single company or industry can manage alone.

ACI’s work is intended to benefit the broader critical infrastructure community – not only its members. The alliance will share best practices and practical insights with critical infrastructure operators of all sizes, across its six lifeline sectors and beyond.

ACI’s focus will be strengthening the physical and cyber defenses of the nation’s critical infrastructure, addressing shared vulnerabilities, improving resilience, understanding critical dependencies across sectors, and helping critical infrastructure operators prepare for emerging risks. More specifically:

• On an ongoing basis, understanding cyber risk created by LLMs and putting in processes to fix vulnerabilities and protect companies and individuals.
• Understanding and creating strategies to protect infrastructure from evolving physical and cyber-related attacks.
• Creating a way to strengthen open-source code and to make it safer on an ongoing basis.
• Promoting the secure adoption of LLMs by organizations with appropriate security and risk-management safeguards in place.
• Maintaining strong connectivity with the Administration and Congress to maximize the alliance’s effectiveness.
• Advancing sound public policy that strengthens the security and resilience of critical infrastructure.
• Building response systems that can lead to faster recovery and better resiliency in the event of a damaging cyber or physical attack.

“The companies that operate critical infrastructure have unique operational expertise and a shared opportunity to help strengthen the systems Americans rely on every day,” said Gordon Smith, ACI Acting Chief Executive Officer. “ACI brings those companies together across sectors. We stand ready to support cross-industry efforts with practical experience, technical expertise and a cross-sector perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing critical infrastructure. ACI gives companies a way to learn from one another, share practical experience and work together on issues that affect multiple sectors.”

CEO Leadership Across Critical Infrastructure

ACI members will include CEOs from companies representing each of the Alliance’s six lifeline sectors:

“Strong public-private partnership has always been one of the country’s greatest strengths,” said Jamie Dimon, JPMorganChase Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, and ACI Chairman of the Board. “It is of utmost and immediate urgency that we come together to help protect our national security and all the people who depend on it.”

“For decades, we've built and secured the systems that millions of people and businesses rely on, and we've learned that the most resilient security comes from combining our deep technical expertise with close collaboration among industry partners and the government. That's exactly what ACI does,” said Andy Jassy, Amazon Chief Executive Officer.

“We find ourselves at an unprecedented moment of risk and opportunity. Only a well-organized and coordinated effort by like-minded and capable companies — committed to the best interests of their customers and employees — will successfully navigate these challenges,” said John Stankey, AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “AT&T will fully support ACI’s efforts to improve public policy, strengthen security and resilience, and advance individual safety during this seminal AI transition.”

“As AI accelerates and cyber threats grow more sophisticated, the resilience of America’s critical infrastructure depends on trusted networks, secure technology and close collaboration across sectors,” said Chuck Robbins, Cisco Systems Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “No single company can address these challenges alone. ACI brings together operational experience, technology expertise and public-private partnership to help strengthen the systems our country relies on every day.”

“Simply put, this is the right thing to do,” said Jane Fraser, Citi Chair and Chief Executive Officer. “The American people deserve nothing less than for the private sector to do everything in our power to help protect our critical infrastructure and keep our country safe.”

“We are standing at the threshold of a profound technological shift that will reshape critical infrastructure, making deep collaboration essential to manage this disruption safely and responsibly,” added Rajesh Subramaniam, FedEx Corporation President and Chief Executive Officer.

“AI has the potential to enhance the quality of life in America — our healthcare, our economy, and even our personal lives,” said David Solomon, Goldman Sachs Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “To fully recognize these benefits, we must accelerate our investments and partner with the public sector to strengthen the country's cyber and infrastructure security and resilience.”

“Southern Company is proud to be a founding member of the Alliance for Critical Infrastructure and to help advance a stronger, more resilient future for the systems Americans depend on every day,” said Southern Company Chairman, President and Chief Executive officer Chris Womack. “By bringing together operational expertise and a shared commitment to security, ACI creates an important platform to strengthen preparedness, address emerging cyber and physical risks, and support the reliable delivery of essential services to customers and communities across the country.”

The expansion of ACI builds upon a foundation of over a decade of private-sector national security work in collaboration with the government and advances the vision of ACI’s nine founding members: JPMorganChase, Mastercard, AT&T, Lumen Technologies, AIG, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, Consolidated Edison, Southern Company and Xcel Energy.

Further, the establishment of a CEO-level board both broadens and deepens the credibility and effectiveness of the group’s approach to national security; recognizes the critical nature of infrastructure resilience; and fortifies ACI’s constructive engagement with the government.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260929262634/en/