Cybersecurity continues to stay one of many largest issues in world data know-how for a litany of causes which are all too acquainted to cybersecurity execs—new and evolving threats, regulatory strain and uncertainty, and a proliferation of AI-enabled instruments, amongst others.
In keeping with Kroll’s Spring 2025 Cybersecurity Software program Sector M&A Business Insights, 2025 M&A exercise is on tempo with 2024 “as strategic patrons and traders consolidate capabilities throughout key domains – cloud security, publicity administration, id and SecOps.” And, the report notes, as of Q1 2025, deal worth already exceeded greater than 90% of 2024’s complete deal worth, due to Google’s 32 billion acquisition of Wiz.
After cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions dropped greater than 18% in 2023 versus the prior 12 months, 2024 noticed will increase in each deal quantity (5%) and transaction worth (13%) over 2023, a in line with a Return on Safety report. Notably, “the highest 10 offers accounted for 91% of the whole worth.”
Under are the offers that CSO has chosen as essentially the most vital of the 12 months, up to date periodically as new offers are introduced.
2025 cybersecurity M&A exercise (to date)
Palo Alto Networks to purchase CyberArk for $25B as id security takes heart stage
July 30, 2025: Palo Alto Networks is making what may very well be its largest guess but by agreeing to purchase Israeli id security firm CyberArk for round $25 billion. “We envision Identification Safety turning into the subsequent main pillar of our multi-platform technique, complementing our management in Community Safety, SASE, Cloud Safety and Safety Operations,” CEO Nikesh Arora wrote in a letter to shareholders.
HPE finalizes Juniper acquisition
July 2, 2025: Practically 18 months after it was first introduced, HPE lastly closed its $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks and is combining it and Aruba into a brand new HPE Networking enterprise unit with a dual-pronged technique: AI for networks and networking for AI.
Netgear’s enterprise ambitions develop with SASE acquisition
June 5, 2025: Netgear took the subsequent step in its plans to develop share amongst enterprises with the acquisition of privately-held security vendor Exium. Based in 2019, Exium supplies SASE capabilities that transcend the safe internet gateway (SWG) kind of performance that describes most retail and SMB networking gear. Monetary phrases of the deal weren’t publicly disclosed.
Proofpoint shopping for Hornetsecurity in a play to develop e-mail security scope
Might 15, 2025: Proofpoint introduced its intent to buy Hornetsecurity Group, a European e-mail security rival. The transfer will prolong Proofpoint’s base past a few of the world’s largest firms to small and mid-sized companies globally, by managed service suppliers.
Palo Alto Networks to purchase Defend AI, strengthen AI security platform
April 29, 2025: Palo Alto Networks introduced plans to amass AI security platform vendor Defend AI in a deal that can strengthen its Prisma AIRS security platform, which incorporates AI agent capabilities. The monetary particulars of the deal weren’t disclosed, however analysts from funding banking and capital markets agency Jeffries reportedly estimated Palo Alto Networks will spend between $650 million to $700 million to amass Defend AI and its platform for securing AI and machine studying fashions and purposes.
Alphabet agrees to purchase Israel’s Wiz, increasing its cloud security attain
March 18, 2025: Alphabet has agreed to amass Israeli cybersecurity agency Wiz for $32 billion, a transfer that can considerably develop its footprint in cloud security and mark its largest acquisition thus far. The most recent bid exceeds Alphabet’s earlier $23-billion bid by roughly a 3rd. Wiz had rejected the sooner proposal in July 2024 as a consequence of regulatory issues.
Jamf to amass Identification Automation for dynamic ID
March 4, 2025: The notion of responsive platform security on Apple gadgets turns into much more profound now that Jamf, a number one system administration and security vendor within the area, has agreed to purchase Identification Automation, an education-focused dynamic id and entry administration platform, for round $215 million.
SolarWinds buys Squadcast to hurry incident response
March 4, 2025: Observability supplier SolarWinds has agreed to purchase San Francisco-based Squadcast and its incident response know-how for an undisclosed quantity. The acquisition will let SolarWinds present clients with clever incident response that can pace imply time to decision for patrons, SolarWinds says.
IBM closes its acquisition of HashiCorp
February 27, 2025: Ten months after the $6.4 billion deal was first introduced, HashiCorp is now part of IBM. Finest identified for its Terraform infrastructure automation device, HashiCorp will contribute to IBM’s concentrate on hybrid cloud and AI, and can present up in IBM choices together with Purple Hat, watsonx, knowledge security, IT automation, and its consulting companies. IBM already makes use of Hashicorp know-how in its cloud choices.
SolarWinds to vary palms for $4.4 billion
February 7, 2025: SolarWinds, the IT service administration and security data and occasion administration software program vendor greatest referred to as the goal of one of many largest ever software program provide chain assaults, has agreed to be acquired by a brand new personal fairness proprietor, Flip/River Capital, for $4.4 billion. The corporate’s two largest shareholders, personal fairness companies Thoma Bravo and Silver Lake, purchased into the corporate in 2015 in a deal that valued it then at $4.5 billion.
Sophos completes buy of Secureworks
February 3, 2025: Now that its $859-million acquisition of Secureworks has closed, Sophos will be capable of fold Secureworks’ XDR merchandise into its personal portfolio, making it one of many world’s largest suppliers of managed detection and response companies.
2024 cybersecurity M&A exercise
Cisco buys SnapAttack
December 17, 2024: Menace detection startup SnapAttack is now a part of Cisco, becoming a member of the security enterprise it’s constructing round its acquisition of Splunk final 12 months.
Cohesity closes acquisition of Veritas
December 10, 2024: Data safety software program vendor Cohesity has lastly closed its acquisition of Veritas, vendor of NetBackup, making it one of many largest enterprise knowledge safety distributors. The deal was first struck in February.
Thoma Bravo completes $5.3 billion Darktrace acquisition.
Oct 1, 2024: Thoma Bravo closed its acquisition of Darktrace, a British vendor of AI-powered cybersecurity instruments, in a deal price roughly $5.3 billion. The funding agency had reportedly been courting Darktrace since 2022. It additionally owns stakes in LogRhythm, PingIdntity, Proofpoint and Sophos, amongst different cybersecurity distributors.
Cisco finalizes huge Splunk acquisition
March 18, 2024: Cisco’s $28 billion acquisition of machine knowledge specialists Splunk lastly handed regulatory muster within the US and EU and closed on March 18. The networking big payments the acquisition as a method to join extra folks, purposes and gadgets to enterprise knowledge shops, whereas concurrently providing improved security.
CyberArk agrees to purchase Venafi from Thoma Bravo for $1.54 billion
Might 20, 2024: Identification security agency CyberArk has agreed to purchase machine id administration firm Venafi in a cash-and-shares deal price $1.54 billion from funding agency Thoma Bravo. The acquisition will permit CyberArk to ascertain a unified platform for end-to-end machine id security at enterprise scale.
Palo Alto to amass IBM’s QRadar security tech as distributors develop partnership
Might 15, 2024: IBM and Palo Alto Networks introduced a wide-reaching partnership to combine and match security know-how between the distributors. The deal contains the sale of Large Blue’s QRadar security intelligence platform to Palo Alto.
LogRhythm and Exabeam announce plan to merge
Might 15, 2024: Safety intelligence and analytics agency LogRhythm, owned by personal fairness funding agency Thoma Bravo, will merge with competitor Exabeam, a supplier of AI-driven security operations. “The mixed firm will leverage the complementary strengths from every group to take AI-driven security operations to new heights,” Thoma Bravo stated in a press release. In keeping with the assertion, clients of each platforms “will profit from enhanced R&D investments and product innovation, better service and help protection and entry to a bigger AI-driven product portfolio, together with cloud-native and on-premises choices.” Monetary phrases of the deal, anticipated to shut within the third quarter of 2024, weren’t disclosed.
Akamai agrees to purchase API security agency Noname
Might 9, 2024: Cloud security agency Akamai Applied sciences introduced its intention to purchase utility programming interface (API) security firm Noname Safety for about $450 million. Akamai stated the deal will permit it to increase safety throughout all API visitors areas, no matter enterprise, integration, or deployment necessities. It expects the acquisition will permit it to supply a whole API security suite enabling clients to higher uncover shadow APIs and detect vulnerabilities and assaults. The deal is anticipated to shut within the second quarter of 2024.
KnowBe4 to purchase Egress
April 24, 2024: Safety consciousness coaching agency KnowBe4 has agreed to amass Egress, an adaptive and built-in cloud e-mail security platform. KnowBe4 stated in a press release that including the capabilities of Egress will create a single platform that aggregates menace intelligence dynamically, providing AI-based e-mail security and coaching that’s routinely tailor-made relative to danger. Monetary particulars of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Flare acquires Foretrace to reinforce menace publicity administration capabilities
March 26, 2024: Menace publicity administration supplier Flare has acquired Foretrace, a US-based knowledge publicity firm for an undisclosed quantity. Montréal-based Flare stated the acquisition of Foretrace and its Whole Recon detection engine “additional broadens our capabilities for amassing emergent menace knowledge whereas additionally deepening our experience, making certain that we might be in an excellent place to paved the way in TEM.” Foretrace founding executives Nick Ascoli and Matt Mosley will be part of Flare as senior product strategist and VP of Strategic Partnerships respectively.
GitLab buys Oxeye to advance app security and governance
March 20, 2024: DevSecOps platform GitLab has acquired cloud-native utility security and danger administration answer Oxeye. The addition of Oxeye will speed up its static utility security testing (SAST) plans and increase GitLab’s software program composition evaluation and compliance instruments. Oxeye’s automated cloud-native utility security testing answer helps determine and resolve application-layer dangers throughout the software program growth lifecycle.
Zscaler buys Avalor so as to add real-time AI-driven security insights and menace prevention
March 14, 2024: Cloud security firm Zscaler has purchased Avalor so as to add the capabilities of its synthetic intelligence-driven Data Cloth for Safety to the Zscaler Zero Belief Change platform. The acquisition will permit Zscaler to “extra successfully determine vulnerabilities whereas predicting and stopping breaches,” stated Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry. Avalor’s Data Cloth for Safety ingests, normalizes, and unifies knowledge throughout enterprise security and enterprise programs to ship actionable insights, analytics, and operational efficiencies.
UK’s Bridewell buys Arculus Cyber Safety to help important nationwide infrastructure progress
March 13, 2024: UK cybersecurity agency Bridewell has accomplished its acquisition of public sector cyber security specialists Arculus Cyber Safety. The acquisition, Bridewell’s first, will triple the corporate’s public sector income and strengthen its public sector footprint, aligning with the group’s strategic concentrate on important nationwide infrastructure.
Gcore buys StackPath WAAP answer
March 6, 2024: Edge AI, cloud, community, and security options supplier Gcore has acquired StackPath’s internet utility and API safety (WAAP) answer. The acquisition will present Gcore clients with an enhanced, enterprise-grade security answer, incorporating internet utility firewall (WAF), API security, bot safety, and Layer-7 DDoS mitigation on the edge, the corporate stated.
CrowdStrike acquires Movement Safety to develop cloud security
March 5, 2024: CrowdStrike has agreed to amass cloud knowledge runtime security agency Movement Safety to create a platform that can present real-time knowledge safety spanning endpoint and cloud environments that secures knowledge at relaxation and in movement. The acquisition will permit CrowdStrike to ship native stream security DSPM capabilities by its Falcon XDR platform, enabling clients to consolidate cloud level options and defend the whole cloud property.
Cycode buys Bearer to extend utility security portfolio
March 5, 2024: Utility security posture administration (ASPM) supplier Cycode has acquired Bearer so as to add new capabilities and strengthen its platform. Bearer supplies AI-powered SAST, API discovery, and knowledge leak safety, which Cycode stated might be built-in into its ASPM product. New capabilities will embody sooner scanning speeds, elevated precision, and an improved developer expertise, Cycode stated. The addition of Bearer can even present AI-powered code decision, knowledge leak safety, superior API discovery, and totally enriched danger intelligence graph capabilities.
Hornetsecurity Group acquires Vade
March 5, 2024: Cloud security and compliance SaaS supplier Hornetsecurity Group has added French e-mail cybersecurity agency Vade to its enterprise. The merger will present clients with a extra in depth product providing, the businesses stated. Vade supplies e-mail security for Microsoft 365 with differentiated API-based e-mail filtering know-how for giant telcos and OEMs world wide. The businesses plan to launch new merchandise in 2024 through Vade´s knowledge heart. Monetary phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
1Password acquires Kolide
February 20, 2024: Password administration platform 1Password has purchased system security answer Kolide, a tool well being and contextual entry administration answer. The acquisition will prolong 1Password’s platform’s means to make sure that each the system and entry requests are safe, enhancing its user-focused system security.
Armis acquires AI cybersecurity firm CTCI
February 14, 2024: Asset intelligence cybersecurity agency Armis has agreed to purchase privately held CTCI (Cyber Menace Cognitive Intelligence), a privately held firm specializing in AI-powered pre-attack threat-hunting know-how. Armis will combine CTCI’s know-how into its Armis Centrix platform to reinforce its early warning cyber intelligence system in stopping breaches, detecting assaults, and figuring out if a corporation has been compromised.
Cybersecurity supplier SonicWall buys Banyan Safety
January 3, 2024: SonicWall acquired security service edge (SSE) answer supplier Banyan Safety so as to add zero-trust security capabilities to its choices. The deal will prolong SonicWall’s portfolio to the cloud and supply companions and their clients with extra flexibility, the corporate stated.
Mimecast buys Elevate Safety to bolster human danger administration
January 4, 2024: E-mail and collaboration security supplier Mimecast has acquired Elevate Safety to strengthen its capabilities in human danger administration. Monetary phrases of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Chertoff Group’s MC² Safety Fund completes acquisition of Trustwave
January 5, 2024: The MC² Safety Fund, an affiliate of advisory and funding agency the Chertoff Group, accomplished its acquisition of world cybersecurity and managed security companies supplier Trustwave, which presents the Fusion Safety Operations platform.
Privileged entry administration supplier Delinea buys Authomize
January 9, 2024: Privileged entry administration (PAM) supplier Delinea acquired Authomize to extend its capabilities to detect cloud-based threats. The acquisition “will prolong the Delinea Platform’s attain for complete privileged controls within the cloud whereas increasing its function to supply a powerful protection towards identity-based assaults comparable to account takeovers, insider threats, and lateral motion,” the corporate stated in a press release.
Snyk acquires Helios to reinforce cloud-to-code danger visibility
January 16, 2024: Developer security agency Snyk purchased utility runtime knowledge seize platform Helios in a bid to reinforce its cloud-to-code danger visibility. The acquisition will speed up the evolution of its Snyk AppRisk platform and Helios’ full-stack runtime knowledge assortment and insights capabilities might be built-in into the Snyk Developer Safety Platform.
Australia’s 5G Networks buys Safety Shift
January 16, 2024: Melbourne-based digital companies firm 5G Networks has acquired Safety Shift for AUD$4 million. Safety Shift supplies cyber security consultancy, end-to-end managed companies and outsourced IT engineering and software program growth, specializing in public cloud, knowledge centre, important infrastructure, and Australian Authorities ISM.
Staley Applied sciences acquires cybersecurity service division of HoganTaylor Know-how
January 23, 2024: Managed IT and cybersecurity and know-how integrator Staley Applied sciences has purchased the managed service and cybersecurity service division of HoganTaylor Know-how for an undisclosed quantity. The deal will improve cybersecurity companies and supply an end-to-end answer for the shoppers of each firms, Staley stated in a press release.
