SecurityWeek’s cybersecurity M&A roundup for December 2021 lists 35 deals, including ones that involved hundreds of millions or billions of dollars.
December 1-12
Acclaim Technical Services acquires Entegra Systems
Acclaim Technical Services (ATS), which specializes in operational support, language, and technology services, has acquired cyber technology solutions provider Entegra Systems. Both companies are US-based government contractors, and the acquisition of Entegra, which provides services to defense and intelligence agencies, will help ATS expand.
Aqua Security, a cloud security company specializing in containers, has announced the acquisition of software development security firm Argon in an effort to expand its capabilities. Both companies are based in Israel. Aqua told SecurityWeek that the acquisition price is in the tens of millions of dollars.
Czech Republic-based consumer and endpoint security solutions provider Avast has acquired Evernym, a US-based identity solutions provider that specializes in self-sovereign identity. Next year, Avast plans on releasing products based on identity technology acquired from Evernym.
Cerberus Sentinel acquires Arkavia Networks
US-based cybersecurity consulting and managed services company Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation has expanded into Latin America with the acquisition of Chile-based Arkavia Networks. Arkavia will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel and it will continue to be based in Chile and led by its current CEO.
CDW acquires Sirius Computer Solutions
IT solutions provider CDW Corporation has announced the acquisition of Sirius Computer Solutions. Both companies are based in the U.S. and they provide, among other things, cybersecurity consulting and managed services. CDW, which has paid $2.5 billion in cash for Sirius, said the deal is expected to accelerate and enhance its capabilities in several areas, including security.
Industrial cybersecurity firm Claroty has entered an agreement to acquire healthcare IoT security company Medigate for $400 million. Claroty says the plan is to combine their expertise and technologies into a single platform.
Web security and performance solutions provider Cloudflare has announced buying Zaraz, an Israel-based firm that has developed technology designed to secure and speed up websites by reducing the impact of third-party analytics and marketing tools. Zaraz was built on Cloudflare’s own Workers developer platform.
ComplySci acquires RIA in a Box
ComplySci, which provides regulatory technology and compliance solutions for the financial services sector, acquired RIA in a Box, which provides compliance, cybersecurity, and operational software solutions to the wealth management industry. The goal is to create advanced compliance solutions for the financial services industry. RIA in a Box will continue to operate as its own brand.
Exclusive Networks acquires Networks Unlimited
France-based cybersecurity solutions distributor Exclusive Networks has acquired Networks Unlimited, a South Africa-based value-added distributor focusing on the cybersecurity and infrastructure markets. The deal enables Exclusive Networks to expand its global footprint.
IBM announced the acquisition of SXiQ, an Australia-based company that specializes in cloud applications, platforms, and cybersecurity. The tech giant said the acquisition will help it further advance its hybrid cloud and AI strategy.
Identity verification company Jumio is buying 4Stop, a Germany-based firm that specializes in KYB, KYC, compliance and fraud prevention. 4Stop has been a Jumio partner and the combination of their solutions will enable their customers to manage their entire identity lifecycle from a single platform.
Lee Equity Partners acquires Unlimited Technology
Private equity firm Lee Equity Partners has acquired Unlimited Technology, which provides security systems integration solutions, with capabilities to address the convergence of physical security with network security and cybersecurity.
Moody’s acquires PassFort and kompany
Credit rating giant Moody’s announced the acquisition of UK-based identity verification, customer onboarding, and risk analysis firm PassFort Limited, and an agreement to buy 360kompany AG (kompany), an Austria-based company that provides a platform for audit-proof business verification and KYC. Moody’s said the two companies enable it to enhance its KYC, anti-money laundering, compliance, and counterparty risk capabilities.
Orchestra Group acquires Netformx
Israel-based risk management company Orchestra Group has acquired Netformx, a US-based firm that provides solutions for simplifying IT sales complexity and increasing seller profitability. The deal will enable Orchestra to expand its global footprint and expand its technical capabilities, particularly when it comes to discovering network vulnerabilities.
Private equity firm Permira wants to acquire email security company Mimecast for roughly $5.8 billion. Permira, which plans on taking Mimecast private, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all of its outstanding ordinary shares for $80 per share. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2022, but there will be a go-shop period until January 6, 2022,
Tesserent acquires Pearson Corporation and Claricent
Cybersecurity and secure cloud services provider Tesserent has acquired cybersecurity consulting firms Pearson Corporation (for $21.5 million) and Claricent (for $2.8 million). All of these companies are based in Australia.
December 13-19
ClosingLock announced the acquisition of SafeWire. Both companies are based in the United States and they offer wire fraud prevention solutions for the real estate industry.
Risk and compliance solutions company Donnelley Financial Solutions (DFIN) has acquired Guardum, a data security and privacy firm that can help companies locate, secure and control data. DFIN says Guardum will enable it to strengthen its data privacy and redaction capabilities.
Empire Technologies Risk Management Group (ETRM) acquires GoldMind
Data security company Empire Technologies Risk Management Group (ETRM Group) announced buying legal cloud solutions company GoldMind. ETRM said the deal will enable it to expand in the Washington D.C. market, and enhance its eDiscovery, data protection and data management capabilities.
DevOps company GitLab has bought open source observability distribution Opstrace, which will help it expand its platform. GitLab said the acquisition will enable it to offer robust monitoring and observability capabilities that will lower incident rates and increase developer productivity.
Impero Software acquires ContentKeeper
UK-based online student safety, classroom management and secure remote access software provider Impero Software has acquired Australian company ContentKeeper, which provides web filtering, reporting and mobile security for schools. The deal will help Impero expand its product offering.
Kroll acquires Security Compass Advisory
Corporate investigations and risk consulting firm Kroll announced the expansion of its cloud security, penetration testing, and red team capabilities with the acquisition of Canada-based Security Compass Advisory.
TeleSign merges with North Atlantic Acquisition Corporation
Authentication and digital identity solutions provider TeleSign has announced that it’s merging with North Atlantic Acquisition Corporation, a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company, and intends to go public following the merger at an enterprise value of $1.3 billion. The combined entity will be named TeleSign, Inc. and it will be led by TeleSign’s current CEO.
Workiva, which provides a platform designed to help organizations collect, manage, report and analyze data, announced the acquisition of auditing content and services provider AuditNet. Workiva said the acquisition will help it expand its offering and enforce its position in the governance, risk and compliance (GRC) market.
December 20-31
Bulletproof Solutions acquires Terminal Exchange Systems
Canada-based IT and cybersecurity services provider Bulletproof Solutions has announced the acquisition of US-based Terminal Exchange Systems. The acquisition is part of Bulletproof’s expansion strategy and it will enable the companies to deliver enhanced IT and cybersecurity services.
CTSI acquires Star Asset Security
Technology and communications solutions provider Corbett Technology Solutions, Inc. (CTSI) announced buying Star Asset Security, which provides system integration, monitoring, physical security, and managed IT and security services. CTSI said the deal will significantly enhance its security integration capabilities across the south and central US, while further strengthening cybersecurity offerings.
Eckoh, a provider of customer engagement data and payment security solutions, has acquired secure payment solutions provider Syntec for £31 million ($41 million). The deal will help Eckoh bolster its customer engagement security solutions. Both companies are based in the UK.
MDR services provider GoSecure has acquired Covail, which specializes in intelligent security and risk optimization and automation. GoSecure said Covail’s expertise in artificial intelligence will enable it to enhance its MDR platform.
Financial software maker Intuit has acquired Israel-based API security company Imvision, reportedly for $50 million. Intuit said Imvision’s technology will help it prevent fraud.
Corporate digital learning company Skillsoft is acquiring online learning platform Codecademy for $525 million in cash and stock. Skillsoft said the acquisition will enable it to significantly expand its capabilities. Codecademy offers courses and hands-on learning in 14 programming languages across multiple domains, including cybersecurity.
Indian IT giant Wipro is buying Texas-based cybersecurity consulting firm Edgile for $230 million. Wipro’s goal is to address increasing demand for cybersecurity consulting services among major enterprises.
ZeroFox acquires IDX and merges with L&F Acquisition Corp
Social media threat protection firm ZeroFox is acquiring incident response firm IDX, and is merging with L&F Acquisition Corp, which will result in ZeroFox becoming a publicly traded company. The combined company will be renamed ZeroFox Holdings.
Related: Cybersecurity M&A Roundup: 40 Deals Announced in November 2021