BY Fraser Tennant
At a time when security has never been more important, Google LLC is to acquire cyber security firm Mandiant, Inc. in a deal valued at approximately $5.4bn – adding Google speed and scale to Mandiant’s unparalleled intelligence and expertise.
Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Mandiant will be acquired by Google for $23 per share in an all-cash transaction expected to close later this year.
Upon close of the acquisition, Mandiant will join Google Cloud. With security the cornerstone of its commitment to customers and users around the world, Google Cloud builds cloud-native security into the foundation of its technology to block malware, phishing attempts and potential cyber attacks at scale.
Moreover, the acquisition of Mandiant underscores Google Cloud’s commitment to advancing its security offerings to better protect and advise customers across their on-premise and cloud environments and stay protected at every stage of the security lifecycle.
“The Mandiant brand is synonymous with unmatched insights for organisations seeking to keep themselves secure in a constantly changing environment,” said Thomas Kurian, chief executive of Google Cloud. “This is an opportunity to deliver an end-to-end security operations suite and extend one of the best consulting organisations in the world.”
Founded in 2004, Mandiant’s more than 600 consultants currently respond to thousands of security breaches each year. Paired with research from more than 300 intelligence analysts, these resulting insights are what power Mandiant’s cyber defence solutions.
“Cyber security is a mission, and we believe it is one of the most important of our generation,” said Kevin Mandia, chief executive of Mandiant. “Google Cloud shares our mission-driven culture to bring security to every organisation and these efforts will help them to effectively, efficiently and continuously manage and configure a complex mix of security products.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of Mandiant stockholder and regulatory approvals.
Mr Kurlan concluded: “Together, Google and Mandiant can make a profound impact in securing the cloud, accelerating the adoption of cloud computing, and ultimately make the world safer.”
News: Google boosts cloud security with $5.4 billion Mandiant deal