The world has never been more connected than it is today, and as we continue to rely more on digital technology, cybersecurity threats continue to increase in frequency and sophistication. With the rise of cybercrime and the ever-present threat of data breaches, organizations are now more focused than ever before on securing their digital assets. In 2023, several notable cybersecurity acquisitions took place, highlighting the continued importance of investing in cybersecurity solutions.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the ten key cybersecurity acquisition deals that have taken place in the last 12 months, and how they are shaping the future of cybersecurity.
Akamai Technologies has announced that it will acquire Neosec, an API detection and response platform based on data and behavioral analytics. The acquisition will complement Akamai’s application and API security portfolio and extend its visibility into the rapidly growing API threat landscape, helping customers discover all of their APIs, assess their risk and respond to vulnerabilities and attacks.
In February 2023, Accenture acquired Brazil-based cybersecurity services provider, Morphus. This acquisition will not only broaden Accenture’s portfolio but also establish a Cyber Industry practice in Latin America, which will be spearheaded by the former CISOs of Morphus. With the acquisition, Accenture also gains access to Morphus Labs, a cybersecurity research facility in Fortaleza, which will augment Accenture’s global network of cybersecurity research facilities, including a new Cyber Fusion Center.
The acquisition also allows Accenture to expand its presence in growth markets, particularly in industry groups such as communications media and technology, financial services, energy, retail, and aviation that Morphus caters to.
Iron Bow Technologies acquired GuardSight Inc., which specializes in providing cybersecurity operations as a service (SECOPS) and managed detection and response (MDR) solutions to businesses and organizations across the United States. By acquiring GuardSight, Iron Bow is set to augment its existing portfolio of cybersecurity solutions by combining its public-sector cybersecurity engineering capabilities with GuardSight’s private-sector SECOPS and MDR capabilities.
This strategic move enables Iron Bow to offer a more comprehensive and holistic cybersecurity solution that supports both government agencies and private enterprises in modernizing their cybersecurity architecture. With a wide range of managed services, Iron Bow will be better equipped to help its clients on the journey to zero trust.
OpenText has completed its acquisition of Micro Focus International, a provider of software technology and services for accelerating digital transformation. With the acquisition, OpenText’s mission will be to help enterprise professionals secure their operations, gain more insight into their information, and better manage an increasingly hybrid and complex digital fabric with a new generation of tools, including cybersecurity, digital operations management, applications modernization and delivery, and AI and analytics. This move is set to help organizations accelerate their digital transformation and drive growth while reducing costs.
Palo Alto Networks has announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Cider Security, a pioneer in application security and software supply chain security. The acquisition will support Palo Alto Networks’ Prisma Cloud platform’s approach to securing the entire application security lifecycle from code to cloud. With the acquisition, Prisma Cloud will offer the industry’s most comprehensive supply chain security solution as part of its code-to-cloud security platform. The acquisition is expected to close during Palo Alto Networks’ second quarter of fiscal 2023.
Managed cybersecurity services provider Thrive acquired Custard Technical Services, an IT support company located in Nottingham, UK. Custard provides managed services to businesses in the East Midlands and neighboring regions. By joining forces with Thrive, Custard’s customers, including manufacturers, charities, and insurance groups, can benefit from Thrive’s advanced managed cybersecurity, cloud services, and automation platform.
CrowdStrike has agreed to acquire Reposify Ltd., a provider of an external attack surface management (EASM) platform that detects and eliminates risk from vulnerable and unknown assets before attackers can exploit them. This acquisition will enable CrowdStrike to offer differentiated EASM capabilities to customers, combining deep insights on endpoints and IT environments with internet scanning capabilities that deliver an adversarial view of organizational risk across internal and external attack surfaces. The acquisition will also bolster CrowdStrike’s Security and IT Operations product suite.
Mastercard has acquired Swedish cloud-based cybersecurity firm Baffin Bay Networks to enhance its multi-layered approach to cybersecurity, mitigate risks, and provide better protection to customers globally. The acquisition also strengthens Mastercard’s service offerings beyond payment transactions. The addition of Baffin Bay Network’s AI technology will improve Mastercard’s analytical capabilities, leading to faster and more effective protection against cyber threats.
eBay has acquired 3PM Shield, a provider of AI-based marketplace compliance solutions, to further enhance its monitoring solutions and prevent the sale of counterfeit items, unsafe products, and illegal goods. The acquisition aligns with eBay’s commitment to providing a safe and trusted platform for sellers and buyers and will enhance eBay’s ability to address suspicious seller behavior and potentially problematic items.
Google LLC has completed the acquisition of Mandiant, a provider of dynamic cyber defense, threat intelligence, and incident response services. Together, Google Cloud and Mandiant will offer an end-to-end security operations suite with advanced capabilities to support customers across their cloud and on-premise environments. The combination of Google’s secure computing systems and Mandiant’s frontline expertise and threat intelligence is expected to help companies identify and defend against threats more effectively.
The cybersecurity landscape is continually evolving, and companies are always looking for ways to improve their cybersecurity posture. These ten key acquisition deals in the past 12 months demonstrate that companies are investing heavily in cybersecurity solutions to protect their digital assets and stay ahead of the evolving cyber threat landscape. These acquisitions are expected to enhance the cybersecurity offerings of the acquiring companies and enable them to provide comprehensive security solutions.
