Original Coverage & Source Attribution: therecord.media
Cybersecurity giant Proofpoint says it will acquire a similarly long-running company, Varonis, in an all-cash transaction worth $6.3 billion.
“The combined company will serve more than 16,000 enterprises and millions of organizations globally, creating one of the world’s leading pure-play cybersecurity companies and establishing the industry’s largest data and AI cybersecurity organization,” Proofpoint said in announcing the deal on Thursday.
Miami-based Varonis, founded in 2005, focuses on data visibility and security. The footprint for California-headquartered Proofpoint, founded in 2002, traditionally includes email security and identity threat defense. It’s owned by private equity firm Thoma Bravo.
AI figured prominently in Thursday’s announcement. The goal is to create a platform that “helps organizations adopt AI with confidence: finding and protecting sensitive data, controlling what people and AI can access, and stopping data loss.”
Both companies are known for their cybersecurity research.
Varonis researchers recently got headlines for a report in which they manipulated Microsoft’s AI assistant Copilot Personal into explaining how to hack itself.
Proofpoint analysts published research earlier this month about a high-level, apparently China-backed phishing campaign geared toward espionage.
Other big cybersecurity company moves this year include Accenture’s plan to acquire a majority stake in Dragos as part of a broader $4.175 billion deal involving other companies, and Cyera’s $1 billion acquisition of Oasis Security, which closed in September.
