Hitachi joins Anthropic's Critical Infrastructure Defense Program as founding partner
In short
Hitachi announced on October 9 that it will join the Critical Infrastructure Defense Program launched by Anthropic on October 8 US time, which uses Anthropic's AI model Claude to strengthen cyber defence of critical infrastructure such as power, water and transport. Hitachi said it will contribute its operational technology (OT) expertise and apply what it learns to its HMAX Cyber service and the security of its OT products.
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Hitachi announced on October 9 that it will take part in the Critical Infrastructure Defense Program, a cyber defence programme for critical infrastructure set up by the US AI developer Anthropic. Mynavi News reported that Hitachi joins as a founding partner. The programme uses Anthropic's AI model Claude with the aim of rapidly detecting and remediating vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and strengthening protection against threats such as unauthorised access. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Anthropic launched the programme on October 8 US time. According to Mynavi News it targets the control systems of sectors such as power, water, manufacturing and transport; Sankei Shimbun named power, water and transport and reported that Accenture was among the founding partners. The programme applies Claude in the products and services of system integrators and security companies trusted by critical infrastructure operators, Mynavi News reported. [ 1 , 2 ]
Hitachi said it will join working groups and share the operational technology (OT) knowledge it has accumulated in the critical infrastructure field. It also plans to feed what it learns from the programme into advancing its HMAX Cyber service and strengthening the security of its OT products, and to work with Anthropic and other members to further improve cyber resilience in critical infrastructure. [ 1 ]
Mynavi News described the particular challenge of critical infrastructure: systems cannot easily be stopped, which makes security measures that require downtime, such as applying patches, hard to carry out. At the same time, advances in AI have greatly shortened the time between the disclosure of a vulnerability and its exploitation. Sankei Shimbun wrote that advanced AI is highly capable of finding security weaknesses and that misuse is a concern. Hitachi, which Sankei said has strengths in infrastructure, takes the view that systems must be rebuilt on the assumption of attack, and aims to strengthen defences by sharing knowledge with other participants. [ 1 , 2 ]
The announcement follows a series of ties between the two companies, according to Mynavi News. Hitachi and Anthropic concluded a strategic partnership in May 2026; in June Hitachi joined Project Glasswing, a joint initiative promoted by Anthropic; in July the companies announced an acceleration of security verification processes through Project Glasswing; and in September Hitachi began offering HMAX Cyber, an operational resilience service to support business continuity in the AI era. [ 1 ]
NHK reported the participation briefly, noting that responding to cyberattacks has become an urgent issue for companies. [ 3 ]
Why it matters
Outlets note that advances in AI are shortening the time between the disclosure of a vulnerability and its exploitation, and that critical infrastructure systems are hard to take offline for patching. The programme brings Claude into the products and services of system integrators and security companies used by infrastructure operators, and Hitachi, which has strengths in infrastructure, says such systems need to be rebuilt on the assumption that they will be attacked.
Key facts
- Hitachi announced on October 9 that it will join Anthropic's Critical Infrastructure Defense Program for critical infrastructure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Hitachi joins as a founding partner, Mynavi News reported. [ 1 ]
- Anthropic launched the programme on October 8 US time; it targets sectors including power, water and transport. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The programme uses Anthropic's AI model Claude to strengthen cybersecurity, including rapid detection and remediation of vulnerabilities. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Hitachi will take part in working groups and share the OT knowledge it has built up in critical infrastructure. [ 1 ]
- Hitachi plans to use what it gains from the programme to advance its HMAX Cyber service and strengthen the security of its OT products. [ 1 ]
- Accenture is among the other founding partners, Sankei Shimbun reported. [ 2 ]
- Hitachi and Anthropic signed a strategic partnership in May 2026, and Hitachi joined Anthropic's Project Glasswing initiative in June. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hitachi announced on October 9 that it will join a cyber defence programme for critical infrastructure launched by Anthropic. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Anthropic launched the programme on October 8 US time. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The programme uses Anthropic's AI model Claude and covers sectors including power, water and transport. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Hitachi's view is that infrastructure systems need to be rebuilt on the assumption that they will be attacked. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- Hitachi's status as a founding partner is reported by Mynavi News; Sankei Shimbun names Accenture among the founding partners without stating Hitachi's status. Single-source detail; Sankei and NHK say only that Hitachi is joining the programme.
- Mynavi News lists manufacturing among the target sectors; Sankei Shimbun names only power, water and transport. The outlets give different sector lists.
- No financial terms or timetable for Hitachi's contribution were reported. None of the documents mention them.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Anthropic launches the Critical Infrastructure Defense Program. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Mynavi News reports Hitachi's October 9 announcement that it joins the programme as a founding partner. [ 1 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the participation, naming Accenture among the founding partners. [ 2 ]
- NHK reports Hitachi's participation in the programme. [ 3 ]