Content by Michael Novinson

CyberArk Debuts $30M Venture Fund to Back Talented Startups

Michael Novinson  •  May 12, 2022

CyberArk has unveiled a $30 million fund to back early-stage startups with unique approaches to solving large problems in the cybersecurity industry. CyberArk Ventures will offer the company broader visibility into adjacent markets and provide high-value integrations that can evolve over time.

Material Security Raises $100M to Protect Sensitive Content

Michael Novinson  •  May 11, 2022

Material Security has closed a $100 million funding round on a $1.1 billion valuation to extend its protection of sensitive content at rest beyond email. The startup will take patents for defending content in old emails and apply them to SaaS applications such as Dropbox, Google Drive and Slack.

New LookingGlass CEO Bryan Ware to Diversify Customer Base

Michael Novinson  •  May 11, 2022

New CEO Bryan Ware plans to leverage LookingGlass' nascent attack surface management capabilities to capture clients in verticals such as pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and utilities. The company tapped former CISA leader Ware to serve as its next CEO following the acquisition of Next5.

Abnormal Security Raises $210M to Push Beyond Email Defense

Michael Novinson  •  May 10, 2022

Abnormal Security has closed a $210 million funding round on a $4 billion valuation to apply its account takeover prevention technology to areas other than email. The company wants to use its AI to protect accounts across systems and SaaS platforms and in environments such as Workday and Salesforce.

Microsoft Unveils Services to Simplify Threat Hunting, XDR

Michael Novinson  •  May 9, 2022

Microsoft plans to roll out new managed services that give organizations the expertise needed to proactively hunt for threats and extend XDR beyond the endpoint. Microsoft Security Experts features new managed services as well as existing services around incident response and modernization.

Apple, Google, Microsoft Unite to Make Passwordless Easier

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2022

Apple, Google and Microsoft are joining forces to back a standard that will allow websites and apps to offers passwordless sign-ins across devices and platforms. The three OS and browsing giants have put their weight behind a common passwordless sign-in standard created by the FIDO Alliance.

Stock Sell-Off: Cloudflare, Rapid7, SentinelOne Hardest-Hit

Michael Novinson  •  May 5, 2022

Cybersecurity companies took Thursday's sell-off on the chin, with Rapid7, Cloudflare and SentinelOne experiencing double-digit stock price drops in Wall Street's worst day of 2022. The Nasdaq Composite Index fell 5% Thursday amid concerns around inflation and soft earnings from online retailers.

Fortinet CEO Ken Xie: OT Business Will Be Bigger Than SD-WAN

Michael Novinson  •  May 4, 2022

Fortinet's operational technology business will surpass its SD-WAN practice due to the elevated threat environment and increased interest from manufacturing customers, CEO Ken Xie says. Fortinet's OT bookings grew 76% in the quarter ended March 30, outpacing SD-WAN bookings growth of 54%.

Tailscale Raises $100M to Give Devices Zero Trust Protection

Michael Novinson  •  May 4, 2022

Tailscale has closed a $100 million funding round to enhance its zero trust VPN offering by factoring in the security posture of a particular device. The startup plans to use the Series B proceeds to create access policies that are variable based on the security posture of a device itself.

Mosyle Raises $196M to Strengthen Apple Security Platform

Michael Novinson  •  May 4, 2022

Mosyle closed a $196 million funding round to expand beyond mobile device management and provide a holistic security platform for Apple devices. The company wants to boost adoption of Mosyle Fuse, which combines MDM, endpoint security, encrypted DNS, identity management and app management.

NortonLifeLock Told to Pay Columbia $185M for Patent Theft

Michael Novinson  •  May 3, 2022

A federal jury has ordered NortonLifeLock to pay Columbia University $185.1 million after finding the company infringed on two patents. Jurors decided Monday that NortonLifeLock's use of emulators to monitor programs for malicious behavior intentionally infringes upon Columbia's patents.

PE Firms 'on Prowl' for Take-Private Cybersecurity Deals

Michael Novinson  •  April 28, 2022

The recent drop in stock prices has presented private equity firms with a golden opportunity to acquire fast-growing public cybersecurity companies without breaking the bank. Financial buyers have taken advantage, scooping up five of the less than 30 public pure-play cybersecurity vendors.

Synopsys to Buy WhiteHat Security for $330M to Protect Apps

Michael Novinson  •  April 27, 2022

Synopsys has agreed to buy WhiteHat Security from NTT Security for $330 million to defend web applications in production environments in an automated, scalable fashion. WhiteHat will provide continuous security testing for hundreds or thousands of apps on live websites in a production-safe manner.

Check Point Pursues More Business Outside Network Security

Michael Novinson  •  April 27, 2022

Check Point is aggressively expanding its salesforce and standing up "rockets" focused on emerging technology areas to land more customer deals outside network security. The company will couple 25% growth in its salesforce with dedicated investments around cloud security, email security and MDR.

Tenable to Buy Bit Discovery to Find More Vulnerable Assets

Michael Novinson  •  April 26, 2022

Tenable has agreed to purchase startup Bit Discovery for $44.5 million to help companies discover, attribute and monitor assets on the internet. The deal will allow Tenable to identify vulnerable internet-facing assets that could be attacked.