Check Point, a cybersecurity company based in California, has recently announced its acquisition of Perimeter 81, a security service edge (SSE) shop. The acquisition, valued at around $490 million, aims to help organizations enhance their secure access capabilities across various networks and platforms. By delivering a secure and fast SSE solution, Check Point intends to accelerate the adoption of secure access for remote users, cloud environments, data centers, and the internet.
Another notable acquisition in the cybersecurity industry is Bitdefender’s purchase of Singapore-based Horangi Cyber Security. Bitdefender, a global cybersecurity company, aims to expand its attack surface monitoring capabilities through this acquisition. By integrating Horangi’s expertise and technologies, Bitdefender will be able to provide its customers with better solutions to address a wider range of cybersecurity challenges, including misconfiguration and vulnerability detection, governance, and compliance in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
In other news, Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm, has extended the closing date for its $2.3 billion acquisition of ForgeRock. This extension is to give the US Justice Department additional time to review the deal for any potential antitrust concerns. Thoma Bravo’s acquisition of ForgeRock aims to strengthen the company’s position in the identity and access management market.
Moving on to investments and exits in the cybersecurity sector, Dropzone AI has secured a $3.5 million seed round led by Decibel Partners. Dropzone specializes in the development of autonomous AI security agents to enhance organizations’ cybersecurity capabilities. Another notable investment is in Sweet Security, an Israeli cybersecurity startup based in Tel Aviv. The company has raised $12 million in a seed round led by Glilot Capital Partners, with participation from CyberArk Ventures and a group of angel investors. Kivera, a cloud security risk mitigation company, has also announced a $3.5 million seed round as it expands its operations to the US market and relocates its headquarters from Sydney to New York.
Furthermore, HushMesh, a Virginia-based startup specializing in automated encryption key management, has raised $5.2 million. Pistachio (formerly known as CYBR), a defense against AI threats company headquartered in Oslo, has secured a €3.25 million funding round led by Signals Venture Capital. Palo Alto-based Veza, an identity-security firm, has received strategic investments from Capital One Ventures and ServiceNow Ventures, bringing its total financing to $125 million. Additionally, Symmetry Systems, a data security posture management firm, raised $17.7 million in an insider funding round. San Francisco-based Rootly, an incident management platform provider, raised $12 million in a Series A round led by Renegade Partners, with participation from Google Gradient Ventures and XYZ Ventures. Lastly, Osano, a data privacy platform company based in Austin, Texas, has closed a $25 million Series B round led by Baird Capital.
In executive moves, Tesserent has appointed Silas Barnes as Senior Partner Offensive Security Services. Rubrik has hired Jesse Green as Vice President of Sales for the Americas, who previously served as Senior Vice President at MongoDB. Edgio has welcomed Tom Gorup as Vice President of Security Services. Forescout has hired David Creed as Vice President of Worldwide Channel Sales, and Cellebrite has appointed Thomas E. Hogan as Executive Chairman of the Board. The PCI Security Standards Council has brought on Wenlock Free as Regional Vice President, North America. Additionally, Illumio has appointed L. David Kingsley as Chief People Officer.
In terms of the business landscape, Rapid7, a cybersecurity company based in Boston, has recently announced a round of layoffs. The company plans to eliminate 470 jobs, which accounts for 18% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring effort. Rapid7 also intends to close several offices as part of these changes. Similarly, NCC Group, a cybersecurity firm headquartered in Manchester, has also announced a small number of layoffs. This move follows previous cuts in February, where around 125 employees were let go, accounting for approximately 7% of their UK and US workforce. The exact number of affected employees in this latest round is yet to be determined.
Finally, Okta, a cloud-identity and access management company, is planning to establish a new office in Bengaluru, India, as it seeks to enter the Indian market. Okta’s expansion into India reflects the company’s desire to tap into the country’s growing demand for comprehensive cybersecurity solutions.
In conclusion, the cybersecurity industry continues to see significant activity in mergers, acquisitions, investments, and executive moves. Companies like Check Point, Bitdefender, and Thoma Bravo are making strategic moves to strengthen their positions and expand their offerings. The investments in startups like Dropzone AI, Sweet Security, Kivera, and Osano showcase the investors’ confidence in the potential of these innovative cybersecurity solutions. The layoffs at Rapid7 and NCC Group demonstrate the challenges faced by companies in an ever-evolving industry. Overall, the cybersecurity landscape remains dynamic and continues to attract attention from both established players and emerging startups.