KKR completes purchase of Barracuda Networks
August 16: Investment firm KKR has completed its acquisition of cloud security firm Barracuda Networks from software investment firm Thoma Bravo. Barracuda's customers are primarily small- and medium-sized businesses looking to protect their email, networks, applications, and data. “We’re ready to deliver on our next phase of growth with KKR and remain dedicated to investing in our team and product portfolio to provide innovative cybersecurity solutions for our customers and partners,” said Hatem Naguib, CEO of Barracuda, in a press release. “We‘re grateful to Thoma Bravo for their valuable strategic and operational support over the last four years.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
DNSFilter acquires firewall, VPN vendor Guardian
August 10: DNSFilter has acquired Guardian and its firewall plus VPN platform. Combined with DNSFilter's Domain Name Service layer security, this platform will allow the firm to offer a secure web gateway (SWG). “Secure web gateway plays a critical role in modern security strategies, enabling organizations to better secure access to the service edge,” said Ken Carnesi, CEO and co-founder, DNSFilter, in a press release. “But the technology is tired – incumbents have not kept pace with the evolving threat landscape or customer needs around service and support. Combining best-in-class Domain Name System (DNS) layer security with firewall + VPN presents a massive business opportunity and alleviates the pain points customers face with legacy SWG technology.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Flashpoint buys OSINT firm Echosec Systems
August 4: Actionable intelligence vendor Flashpoint has acquired Echosec Systems, which provide open-source intelligence (OSINT) for national security, public safety, and enterprise customers. “Intelligence practitioners require a converged, user-focused solution that includes insights derived from both open and closed intelligence sources,” said Flashpoint President Donald Saelinger in a press release. “Integrating Echosec’s worldwide social media collections, intuitive interface, and industry expertise into Flashpoint will deliver unparalleled value to our customers, to help them best identify and mitigate all types of risk.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Thoma Bravo to buy Ping Identity
August 3: Private equity firm Thoma Bravo announced plans to buy identity and access management (IAM) provider Ping Identity for $2.8 billion. “Ping Identity's unique capabilities and strong position in enterprise identity security make it a great platform to deliver customer outcomes, expand into new use cases and support digital transformations,” said Thoma Bravo partner Seth Boro.
HUMAN Security and PerimeterX merge to better fight fraud, account abuse
July 27: HUMAN Security (formerly White Ops) and PerimeterX have announced that they are merging. The combined company will operate under the HUMAN brand, integrating PerimeterX's identity and fraud detection and prevention technology into the HUMAN Defense Platform, enhancing its bot protection and anti-fraud capabilities. “Together, we will deliver on our shared purpose of disrupting the economics of cybercrime, and we will offer enhanced protection for our combined global customers with an unparalleled modern defense strategy," said HUMAN co-founder and CEO Tamer Hassan, who will remain CEO of the combined company, in a press release.
Riskonnect buys Castellan Solutions from Resurgens
July 12: Risk management software provider Riskonnect has acquired Castellan Solutions from private equity firm Resurgens Technology Partners. Riskonnect intends to integrate Castellan's business continuity and enterprise resilience software into its platform under the Riskonnect brand. “Integrated risk management is increasingly becoming mission-critical to all types and sizes of businesses, and Castellan’s product suite enables customers to build organizational readiness and response capabilities to minimize disruptions,” said Resurgens Managing Director Fred Sturgis in a press release. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Cipherloc rebrands as SideChannel after completing acquisition
July 5: Encryption technology company Cipherloc has completed its acquisition of cybersecurity services firm SideChannel. It also announce that the combined company will be renamed SideChannel. "We are moving ahead swiftly on the integration process to take advantage of opportunities in our fast-growing addressable markets, which are expected to reach $500 billion by 2030," said newly appointed SideChannel CEO Brian Haugli in a press release. "As a combined entity, we believe SideChannel is uniquely positioned to offer a centralized solution tailored to the needs of the middle market. Our clients can secure critical cybersecurity services and software from the industry's most experienced CISOs on a long-term basis in a manner that works for their budgets."
Infinigate announces plan to acquire Nuvias Group's cybersecurity and secure networking business
July 5: Infinigate, a European value-added dealer (VAD) of cybersecurity solutions, intends to acquire the cybersecurity and secure networking business of Nuvias Group. Once completed, the deal will significantly expand Infinigate's presence across Europe, particularly in the UK, France, Benelux, and Nordics territories. Klaus Schlichtherle, CEO of Infinigate Group, said in a press release: “Infinigate will become even more relevant and powerful. We will have a stronger geographical footprint, especially in the core markets in Europe – where we will have a strong position in 18 countries. Our complementary vendor portfolios will create a huge opportunity for growth." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Thrive acquires managed services provider Edge Technology Group
June 30: Thrive has acquired Edge Technology Group, expanding the IT and security managed services it provides to alternative investment managers and its geographic reach. The deal gives Thrive offices and data centers in the UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and tthe Philippines. "Edge Technology Group is the leading financial industry MSP in the world," said Rob Stephenson, Thrive's CEO, in a press release. "Their talented engineering and account management teams will now have access to the Thrive Automation Platform and our 24x7x365 comprehensive suite of cybersecurity SOC services to enhance the Edge client experience." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
XM Cyber buys continuous controls monitoring firm Cyber Observer
June 27: Hybrid cloud security vendor XM Cyber has acquired Cyber Observer. The company will integrate Cyber Observer's continuous controls monitoring and cloud security posture management platform into its own. “Even as awareness of cybersecurity risk continues to grow, attackers are thriving and routinely exploiting attack paths that can be used to move laterally through an enterprise network,” said Noam Erez, co-founder and CEO, XM Cyber, in a press release. “Our goal is to give security teams the ability to easily understand and correct their security posture on a continuous basis, including weaknesses, exposures and compensating security controls across the full internal and external attack surface covering on-prem, cloud and SaaS systems." Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Johnson Controls brings zero trust to connected buildings via Tempered Networks acquisition
June 23: Johnson Controls has acquired zero-trust security firm Tempered Networks. The company plans to integrate Tempered Networks' Airwall technology into its OpenBlue smart building platform, providing a zero-trust approach to connected building systems. "When it comes to buildings, we must create easily implementable cybersecurity defenses as we're often dealing with critical infrastructure, including assets such as data centers and hospitals," said Vijay Sankaran, vice president and chief technology officer, Johnson Controls, in a press release. "Tempered Networks Airwall approach is purpose-built for our sector as it's designed around principles of zero trust, securing device communications as data moves between devices and the cloud – so enabling remote building optimization in the most trusted way possible." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Entrust boosts identity portfolio with Evidos acquisition
June 8: Entrust has acquired Evidos and its cloud-based electronic signature and identity verification solutions. The deal, the terms of which were not disclosed, reflects Entrust's objective to become a leader in trusted electronic signatures. “Security empowers enterprises to transform with confidence. Digital life demands that organizations provide trusted digital-first transactions, from opening bank accounts to applying for government services. Our intention at Entrust is to be a global player in digital signature solutions, built on a platform of security and trust.” said Todd Wilkinson, CEO of Entrust, in a press release.
IBM Security announces plan to buy Randori
June 6: IBM Security has announced its intent to acquire attack surface management (ASM) vendor Randori. When completed, the acquisition is expected to enhance IBM Security's hybrid cloud strategy and AI-powered product and service portfolio. The company plans to integrate Randori's ASM software into its QRadar extended detection and response product. "We started Randori to ensure every organization has access to the attacker's perspective," said Brian Hazzard, Randori co-founder and CEO, in a press release. "... By joining forces with IBM, we can greatly accelerate this vision and strategy - leveraging IBM's deep expertise in AI, threat intelligence, offensive security and global reach." Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Forescout to acquire threat detection and response firm Cysiv
June 6: Security automation vendor Forescout has signed an agreement to acquire Cysiv. The company plans to use Cysiv's cloud-based threat detection engine to automatically analyze asset and network communications data that Forescout's platform collects. “Upon close, the acquisition will help our customers leverage actionable threat intelligence from comprehensive data collected by Forescout and analyzed by Cysiv," said Wael Mohamed, CEO of Forescout, in a press release. "We will receive far more than just great technology in this acquisition. The Cysiv team is exceptional, and our two organizations are highly complementary.” Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
ReliaQuest to purchase threat intelligence firm Digital Shadows
June 1: Cloud-native security operations firm Reliaquest has agreed to acquire Digital Shadows for $160 million. The company plans to add Digital Shadows' risk and threat intelligence technology into its GreyMatter security operations platform once the deal is complete. “Combining the internal visibility provided by ReliaQuest with the external threat intelligence and digital risk monitoring brought by Digital Shadows creates an end-to-end picture for enterprises around the world,” said Alastair Paterson, co-founder and CEO at Digital Shadows, in a press release. “The complementary technical capability, shared cultural values, and geographic synergies offered by the combined companies make this a great opportunity for our customers and our partners.”
Encryption firm Cipherloc agrees to acquire SideChannel
May 18: Cipherloc, known for its encryption technology, has entered into an agreement to purchase SideChannel, Inc. Once completed, the deal would add virtual CISO services to Cipherloc's portfolio. "We anticipate that this acquisition will empower us to fulfill our mutual ambitions to improve and simplify cybersecurity for emerging and middle market companies," said SideChannel CEO Brian Haugli in a press release. "... SideChannel's vCISO platform offers best-in-class solutions for companies traditionally underserved by the big players. We believe this business combination will further enable these customers to receive the highest level of vCISO services coupled with software solutions tailored to their unique needs and budgets."
Thales to acquire two European cybersecurity companies
May 17: Thales has signed an agreement with Sonae Investment Management to acquire S21sec and Excellium, two Europe-based cybersecurity companies operating under holding company Maxive Cybersecurity. The €120 million deal, once completed, will strengthen Thales's presence in Spain, Portugal, Luxembourg and Belgium. "...the acquisition of S21sec and Excellium consolidates our leadership in cybersecurity consulting and managed services. We are delighted to welcome the S21sec and Excellium expert teams as part of our fast-growing cybersecurity teams," said Marc Darmon, Thales executive vice president, Secure Communications and Information Systems, in a press release.
Magnet Forensics acquires Comae Technologies' assets
May 5: Magnet Forensics, which sells forensics tools to help law enforcement and government organizations to investigate cybercrime, has purchased the assets of UAE-based Comae Technologies. The company plans to continue development of Comae's cloud-based memory analysis platform and incorporate the technology into its solutions. “My team and I are thrilled to be continuing our work alongside the team at Magnet Forensics, where the incident response technology can help protect thousands of enterprises and communities from cybercrime,” said Comae founder Mat Suiche in a blog post. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Vector Capital now the majority owner of WatchGuard Technologies
April 27: Private equity firm Vector Capital has acquired a majority stake in WatchGuard technologies, which offers network security and intelligence, advanced endpoint protection, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and secure Wi-Fi solutions. “Vector firmly believes in WatchGuard’s portfolio, partners, employees, and vision. This transaction is a testament to WatchGuard’s current success and the opportunity ahead,” said WatchGuard CEO Prakash Panjwani in a press release. “We believe Vector is well positioned to further accelerate WatchGuard’s growth strategy while preserving our company culture and commitment to security delivery through the MSP community.” Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
Synopsys agrees to acquire application software SaaS vendor WhiteHat Security
April 27: Synopsys, a provider of electronic design automation services and seminconductor IP, has entered an agreement to purchase WhiteHat Security for $330 million. The company will become part of Synopsys's Software Integrity Group, adding SaaS-based security testing solutions to its security software portfolio. "WhiteHat Security's DAST capabilities complement our strengths in static analysis, interactive analysis and software composition analysis, while their expertise in SaaS will accelerate our security testing SaaS capabilities," said Jason Schmitt, general manager of the Synopsys Software Integrity Group, in a press release.
OneIDLab and Tozny merge to form Tozny, Inc.
April 19: OneIDLab and Tozny are now one company, Tozny, Inc. The merger combines Tozny's integrated identity and access management (IAM), privileged access management (PAM), key management, and data encryption solutions with OneIDLab's secure remote access and decentralized identity token solutions. "Our customers are increasingly asking for a risk informed integrated solution that doesn't require a wholesale change in their IT infrastructure. Our integrated platform works with existing applications, and makes it much simpler for our customers to adopt and maintain a zero-trust posture that includes people, devices, applications and services," said Jonathan DeHart, co-founder and CEO of Tozny, Inc., in a press release.