Wednesday 1 October 2014

55 Cyber Security Deals from Q3


Wednesday 9 July 2014

Cyber Security Investments and Acquisitions

Cyber Security Investments and Acquisitions - Q2 2014

Australia Software Firm Cocoon Data Enters Stock Market With $53m Reverse Takeover
Diebold to Acquire Secure Payment Company, Cryptera A/S
Outsourced app developer 10Pearls buys Gemini Security Solutions
Environmental Technologies Fund invests in MWR InfoSecurity to focus on the smart energy industry
Cloud security startup Skyhigh raises $40m in funding
Moving Data From Cloud To Cloud, Zerto Raises $26 Million
Deutsche Telekom buys security specialist Rola
CloudFlare acquires enterprise VPN provider CryptoSeal
Onapsis Inc. raises nearly $10M in funding to expand security solutions for ERP
Security startup CounterTack takes $5M more to meet demand for attack-detection systems
Bitcoin Security Startup Raises $12 Million
Infosys Co-founder Nadathur Acquires Paladion Networks
Virtru Closes $6 Million in Funding Led by Bessemer Venture Partners
FireMon's Momentum Drives Majority Investment From Insight Venture Partners
Security startup SparkCognition comes out of stealth mode
CloudLock Acquires Innovode Technology
Security software startup SourceClear raises $1.5 million - GeekWire
Security Analytics Startup Exabeam Raises $10 Million
Protectwise raises funds
Dropbox adds security with MobileSpan acquisition
Palo Alto Networks To Pay Juniper In Firewall Patent Settlement
Cloudera acquires big data encryption specialist Gazzang
Toronto startup Fixmo resolves lawsuit by selling itself to California's Good Technology
Cryptzone Acquired by Medina Capital
HackSurfer raises $3.5M so it can protect your cloud better
Network security startup Observable Networks raises $2.45 million
F5 Networks buys cloud DDoS specialist Defense.Net
Israeli cyber security firm Fortscale raises $10m
Atos to Acquire Bull for $844 Million
Eyeing BlackBerry customers, Symantec buys secure email app maker NitroDesk | ZDNet
VASCO to Expand its Authentication Technology Portfolio with Acquisition of Risk IDS - MarketWatch
Cisco To Acquire ThreatGRID For Malware Analysis, Threat Intelligence
With Divide Acquisition, Google Wants To Manage Your Mobile Devices
Proofpoint Acquires Security Pioneer NetCitadel
Centrify finds its identity with $42m cash injection
Nemex Resources finalising acquisition of Wavefront Biometric Technologies
Hadoop security: Hortonworks buys XA Secure - and plans to turn it open source
CloudFlare Acquires Anti-Malware Firm StopTheHacker | TechCrunch
Endgame, Inc. Announces Acquisition of Florida-based Onyxware Corporation
General Electric Beefs-Up Security Commitment With Acquisition Of Wurldtech
Security Firm CertiVox Bags $8M To Grow Its Secure Alternative To Passwords
Ex-NSA staffers form new venture Area 1 Security, nab $2.5M to thwart cyber attacks
Fireeye acquires nPulse
Inside Secure buys Metaforic
Cryptzone Acquired by Medina Capital - WSJ.com
Vulcan capital invests $40m in Scytl eVoting
Plymouth Ventures invests in Certified Security

Wednesday 5 March 2014

Formal Methods - Key to New FireEye R&D Centre

FireEye, an advanced cyber attack prevention specialist, has announced the official opening of a research and development (R&D) centre in Dresden, Germany, for tomorrow. The FireEye European R&D team will conduct advanced mathematical research through techniques known as 'formal methods' to validate the security of the FireEye endpoint technology. The centre will initially host 15 researchers and has partnered with Technische Universität Dresden according to CBR - How One Company is Using Maths to Beat the Hackers.

It's good to see formal methods - the mathematical techniques used to verify safety-critical software - being applied to security in a commercial setting. Malvern-based company D-RISQ are also applying formal methods technology based on many years of research.

Friday 21 February 2014

VersAi Acquires AI-based Intellectual Property for Cyber Security from Espion

An unusual and interesting international IP deal in cyber security. Espion, a cyber security business in Ireland with interests in digital forensics and security awareness, has licensed its IP to Versai, a Canadian firm. The IP comprises a self-signature-creating AI algorithm which makes up the core of VersAi’s product line for inbound threat detection and prevention, as well as outbound policy and content security. Originally designed as a hybrid AI algorithm, borrowing from both symbolic (probabilistic reasoning, logic) and non-symbolic (machine learning, fuzzy logic, pattern detection) approaches, the technology has apparently been commercially proven and tested over 11 years as an email and content security gateway.

Tuesday 18 February 2014

Funds raised and acquisition made - by Bit9

Bit9, an endpoint security vendor has announced it has raised $38million in investment and also acquired 'Carbon Black'. The interesting thing about Bit9 is its claim to have stopped some of the most advanced attacks seen in recent years such as Flame, Gauss and the malware responsible for the RSA breach. I also like the sound of 'Carbon Black', not a company I have heard of before, but their website says they "prepare your digital enterprise for the inevitable compromise by collecting, and retaining, precisely the data that incident responders need to answer the critical questions of any investigation" - which is a key part of enterprise forensic readiness.

Thursday 13 February 2014

Password-free online authentication a step closer?

This could be interesting but given the failure of 'standards' in IT generally I guess we will have to wait and see - Password-free online authentication a step closer - a report in Computer Weekly looks at the Fido (Fast IDentity Online ) Alliance protocol, aimed at helping companies eliminate passwords in favour of multi-factor identity checks using a variety of alternatives.

Tuesday 14 January 2014

World's First Insurance Backed Bitcoin Vault

A fascinating story - a UK start-up offering a secure bitcoin vault backed up by Lloyds of London insurance.