Microsoft has confirmed that it will acquire RiskIQ, a cybersecurity firm based in San Francisco that offers threat intelligence and cloud-based software as a service for organizations.
The deal’s terms were not announced, although Bloomberg earlier reported that Microsoft will pay more than $500 million in cash for RiskIQ, which will see its threat intelligence services incorporated into Microsoft’s flagship security offerings. The reported figure was not confirmed by Microsoft.
The announcement comes as firms migrate to remote and hybrid working strategies, posing new security challenges.
RiskIQ combs the web for information on websites and networks, domain name records, certificates, and other data, such as WHOIS registration data, to give customers visibility into what assets, devices, and services can be accessible outside of their firewall.
This aids businesses in securing their assets and reducing their attack surface to malicious actors. It was because to this data that the organisation was able to discover and analyse Magecart, a group of cybercriminals that insert credit card-stealing malware into vulnerable websites.
According to Microsoft, customers will be able to build a more comprehensive view of global threats to their businesses by integrating RiskIQ’s technologies into its core products, as workforces continue to work outside of the traditional office environment.
Commenting on the development, Eric Doerr, Vice President of Cloud Security at Microsoft, said “RiskIQ helps customers discover and assess the security of their entire enterprise attack surface — in the Microsoft cloud, AWS, other clouds, on-premises, and from their supply chain. With more than a decade of experience scanning and analyzing the internet, RiskIQ can help enterprises identify and remediate vulnerable assets before an attacker can capitalize on them.”