Akamai Technologies Inc. has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tel Aviv-based Guardicore for about $600 million, it said on Thursday. The acquisition is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of the calendar year 2021.
Akamai will be equipped to provide comprehensive protection to the enterprise, defending against threat actors and the spread of malware and ransomware, by adding Guardicore’s micro-segmentation solution to its extensive zero trust security portfolio, Akamai said.
Guardicore’s micro-segmentation solution is designed to limit user access to only those applications that are authorized to communicate with each other. By denying communication as the default, the threat surface and risk exposure are drastically reduced, thus limiting the spread of malware and protecting the flow of enterprise data across the network. This protection extends beyond the data centre to the cloud, including bare metal, virtual machines and containers.
Akamai offers a broad suite of zero trust security solutions, including web application firewall, zero trust network access, domain name system firewall and secure web gateway, which help prevent attackers and malware on employee devices from gaining access to enterprise infrastructure and applications.
However, to be secure in today’s world, enterprises also need a second layer of defence to block the spread of malware after it has gained a foothold within the corporate infrastructure.
Guardicore’s micro-segmentation solution provides this much-needed capability, substantially mitigating the impact of breaches and the threat posed by ransomware, according to Akamai.
“Given the recent surge in ransomware attacks and the increasingly stringent compliance regulations, investing in technologies to reduce the spread of malware has become mission-critical,” said Tom Leighton, chief executive officer and co-founder, Akamai Technologies.
“By adding Guardicore’s leading micro-segmentation products to Akamai’s comprehensive portfolio of zero trust solutions, we believe Akamai will be able to provide the most effective way to combat ransomware on the market today,” Leighton said.
Source: Mint