Content by Michael Novinson

Certa Raises $35M to Bring AI to Third-Party Risk Management

Michael Novinson  •  September 8, 2023

A third-party management platform founded by a longtime McKinsey consultant closed a funding round to bring further automation to compliance and procurement tasks. Certa plans to invest in AI that takes text-based organizational policies and converts them into controlled workflows.

CEO Gil Shwed on Why Check Point Decided to Buy Perimeter 81

Michael Novinson  •  September 8, 2023

Perimeter 81's ease of deployment and embrace of a cloud-based architecture made it stand apart from other secure remote access offerings, according to Check Point Software CEO Gil Shwed. The deal will help Check Point build a scalable network foundation that extends to thousands of users.

Experts Probe AI Risks Around Malicious Use, China Influence

Michael Novinson  •  September 7, 2023

The rise of artificial intelligence makes it easier for adversaries to harm the U.S. and introduces new risks around malicious insiders with loyalties to China, experts say during a Senate hearing. Generative AI can help less technically sophisticated threat actors carry out complex cyberattacks.

Tenable to Buy Startup Ermetic for $265M to Safeguard Clouds

Michael Novinson  •  September 7, 2023

Tenable will purchase a cloud security startup founded by the longtime leader of Secdo to help security teams make efficient and accurate remediation decisions. The proposed buy of Ermetic will make it easier for security professionals of all cloud expertise levels to spot and quickly address risks.

Check Point Buys Startup Atmosec to Secure SaaS Applications

Michael Novinson  •  September 6, 2023

Check Point Software will buy a SaaS security startup founded by former Armis leaders to anticipate and block threats from malicious applications. The deal will give clients a better understanding of the SaaS platforms - such as Office 365, Salesforce and GitHub - that power their business.

Netskope Buys Digital Experience Management Startup Kadiska

Michael Novinson  •  September 6, 2023

Netskope purchased a French digital experience management startup to monitor and proactively remediate performance issues across both SD-WAN and SSE. The deal will bring network and application performance visibility to user devices as well as hybrid, SaaS and cloud applications.

Zscaler Data Security Platform Takes on Symantec, CASB Tools

Michael Novinson  •  September 5, 2023

Zscaler's ability to inspect traffic in-line and secure application-to-application communications has driven massive growth in its data protection business, CEO Jay Chaudhry said. Customers have embraced Zscaler's data protection technology over incumbents such as Symantec as well as CASB tools.

Why Tenable Is Eyeing Security Vendor Ermetic at Up to $350M

Michael Novinson  •  September 5, 2023

A startup founded by the longtime leader of Secdo and backed by the likes of Qumra Capital and Accel could soon be acquired by Tenable. The company is in advanced negotiations to purchase cloud infrastructure security startup Ermetic in a deal valued at between $300 million and $350 million.

IronNet Furloughs Almost All Employees, Curtails Operations

Michael Novinson  •  September 5, 2023

IronNet's board authorized the company to furlough nearly all its workers and substantially curtail business operations as the board evaluates seeking bankruptcy protection. The furlough and cessation of business operations constitute an event of default under the terms of the company's borrowing.

Battery Ventures Buys GrammaTech's Application Security Unit

Michael Novinson  •  September 5, 2023

GrammaTech has separated its security software products and cyber research services divisions, and venture capital firm Battery Ventures has acquired the former and renamed it CodeSecure. The Washington, D.C.-area application security testing software business will pursue M&A in adjacent markets.

What New SEC Reporting Rules Mean for Less-Regulated Firms

Michael Novinson  •  September 1, 2023

The new U.S. reporting requirements will force publicly traded companies in industries outside of financial services with fewer regulations to improve their security practices. Snyk CEO Peter McKay advised public companies in possession of credit card numbers or other PII to level up.

SentinelOne CEO on Wiz M&A: 'Pure Speculation on Their Part'

Michael Novinson  •  August 31, 2023

SentinelOne CEO Tomer Weingarten hit back at endpoint security rivals CrowdStrike and Microsoft and rumored M&A suitor Wiz for publicly fanning acquisition flames. The endpoint security firm called Wiz acquisition rumors "a head-scratcher," "far from fact" and "pure speculation on their part."

Malwarebytes Cuts Staff, will Split Consumer, Corporate Arms

Michael Novinson  •  August 31, 2023

Malwarebytes laid off at least 100 workers this week and plans to split its consumer and corporate-facing business units into separate companies. The antivirus firm cut also recently axed its chief product officer, chief information officer and chief technology officer.

The Rising Tide of Identity-Based Attacks

Michael Novinson  •  August 31, 2023

The shift from traditional malware-led attacks to identity-based attacks in the realm of cybersecurity has become more prominent than ever. Attackers continuously adapt their tactics, seek the path of least resistance and focus on exploiting vulnerabilities in identity-related weaknesses.

CrowdStrike CEO: Point Product Vendors Are Being Left Behind

Michael Novinson  •  August 30, 2023

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz said point product companies "are quickly going the way of legacy antivirus" as rivals SentinelOne and BlackBerry reportedly hunt for buyers. The endpoint security market is quickly consolidating from being "littered with dozens of companies" to having several vendors.