Managed Detection & Response (MDR) , Open XDR , Security Operations
CEOs Levy, Thomas on Perks of $859M Sophos-Secureworks Deal
$859M Purchase Targets Secureworks’ XDR Platform to Enhance Sophos' MDR Offerings
The $859 million acquisition of Secureworks will give Sophos more brand strength and operational mass in the XDR and MDR markets, said CEO Joe Levy.
See Also: OnDemand Webinar | Utilizing SIEM and MDR for Maximum Protection
The Oxford, U.K.-based platform security vendor plans to bring Secureworks' capabilities around identity threat detection and response and OT security to its base of SMB and mid-market customers, Levy said. Although a third of Sophos' revenue already comes from enterprise customers thanks to its growing MDR business, Levy said buying Secureworks will allow Sophos to get much closer to large organizations (see: Sophos Fortifies XDR Muscle With $859M Secureworks Purchase).
"Over the past few years, they've gone through this extraordinary transformation of the business, where they transitioned from the MSSP routes that they began with over to a managed detection and response focus on what I think is one of the best XDR platforms in the industry," Levy said. "It's an extraordinary combination of human and technological assets, and I think one of the best brands in the industry."
In this video interview with Information Security Media Group, Levy and Secureworks CEO Wendy Thomas also discussed:
- Technology synergies and potential overlap between Sophos and Secureworks;
- Why Secureworks' capabilities around identity and OT protection are important;
- How the acquisition will strengthen Sophos' competitive position in XDR, MDR.
Before joining Sophos in 2015, Levy served as CTO for Blue Coat Systems following the company's May 2013 acquisition of security analytics pioneer Solera Networks, where he had been CTO since 2008. Prior to Solera, he was CTO of SonicWall, where he led research and development teams with concentrations in next-generation firewalls, deep packet inspection, cryptography and secure remote access.
Since joining Secureworks in 2008, Thomas played a key role in Secureworks’ growth through multiple acquisitions, an initial public offering in 2015 and shaping the company’s transformation from a pure-play security services organization to a leading global SaaS security company. Thomas' experience in strategic and visionary leadership spans over 25 years in public and private technology companies.
