Content by Michael Novinson

Darktrace's Nicole Eagan on How AI Predicts, Prevents Hacks

Michael Novinson  •  September 22, 2022

Darktrace's Cybersprint acquisition allowed the cybersecurity AI vendor to move from focusing solely on internal threats to also defending the external attack surface, Nicole Eagan says. The company says AI will give an outside-in view of the victim and simulate how the attacker will behave.

Universities Urged to Defend Sensitive Research From Hackers

Michael Novinson  •  September 21, 2022

Cyberattacks against universities have forced academia to implement new rules and processes to safeguard sensitive research from adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran. Texas A&M set up an office in 2016 to oversee security around scholarship, and the office works to prevent foreign influence.

SentinelOne's $100M Venture Capital Fund Seeks Data Startups

Michael Novinson  •  September 21, 2022

SentinelOne is taking on top rival CrowdStrike in the venture arena, unveiling a $100 million fund to support security and data startups of all sizes. S Ventures will give the company broader reach in adjacent markets and enable high-value integrations that can grow over time.

Deep Instinct Snags Former Palo Alto, Zscaler Exec as CEO

Michael Novinson  •  September 20, 2022

Deep Instinct has tasked the former CEO of Palo Alto Networks and COO of Zscaler with reworking the company's go-to-market strategy to better serve large enterprises. The company has moved longtime executive Lane Bess from the executive chair to the CEO's seat to recruit experienced sales leaders.

CrowdStrike to Buy Reposify to Secure Attack Surface, Assets

Michael Novinson  •  September 20, 2022

CrowdStrike has purchased external attack surface management startup Reposify to help organizations detect and eliminate risk from vulnerable and unknown assets. This deal will allow CrowdStrike to combine its insights on endpoints and IT environments with Reposify's internet-scanning capabilities.

Why Would Palo Alto Networks Want Startup Apiiro for $600M?

Michael Novinson  •  September 19, 2022

Palo Alto Networks has been in a 19-month dry spell when it comes to major acquisitions, but it looks like that's about to change. Israeli business publication Calcalist reported Monday the firm is closing in on a deal to buy New York-based code risk platform provider Apiiro for around $600 million.

Sumo Logic CEO on Using Data to Improve Security Posture

Michael Novinson  •  September 19, 2022

Sumo Logic has sharpened its ability to help customers improve their security posture since going public two years ago, says President and CEO Ramin Sayar. Enterprises want to drive more SOC automation, while smaller firms seek more visibility into the infrastructure, he says.

Vista Equity Bids to Take KnowBe4 Private at $4.2B Valuation

Michael Novinson  •  September 19, 2022

Vista Equity Partners has joined Thoma Bravo in the take-private cybersecurity spree, offering to buy security awareness training behemoth KnowBe4 at a $4.22 billion valuation. KnowBe4 says it has received a nonbinding offer from Vista of $24 per share for the shares not currently owned by Vista.

SandboxAQ Buys Cryptosense to Fuel Post-Quantum Cryptography

Michael Novinson  •  September 16, 2022

SandboxAQ bought French vendor Cryptosense to help organizations migrate and defend key stores and hardware security modules using post-quantum cryptography architecture. Combining SandboxAQ's network scanning capabilities with Cryptosense's visibility will help firms discard RSA-based encryption.

Check Point CEO Gil Shwed on Why Prevention Beats Detection

Michael Novinson  •  September 16, 2022

Existing security operations tools focus too much on detecting threats and creating alerts rather than stopping attacks before they happen, says Check Point CEO Gil Shwed, who claims the firm's new MPR and XPR tools will reduce the number of events security analysts handle by at least 90%.

IronNet Headed for Crash Amid Layoffs and Co-CEO Exit

Michael Novinson  •  September 15, 2022

Beleaguered vendor IronNet will execute another round of layoffs, axing nearly 90 employees and removing co-CEO William Welch and CFO James Gerber from their posts. IronNet revealed plans to reduce its 250-person staff by approximately 35% less than three months after laying off 55 people.

Fortanix Raises $90M in Goldman-Backed Funds to Secure Data

Michael Novinson  •  September 15, 2022

Silicon Valley-based startup Fortanix is looking to capitalize on the growing demand for security and encryption across on-premises data centers and major cloud providers through a recently completed $90 million Series C round of funding led by Goldman Sachs' equity arm.

Global Open Internet Under Chinese Threat, US Lawmakers Hear

Michael Novinson  •  September 14, 2022

The specter of Chinese data collection on U.S. citizens hung over Capitol Hill in a pair of hearings as lawmakers asked whether an open internet can survive challenges such as Beijing hacking and TikTok. An executive for the short-form video app made a rare appearance before a Senate committee.

Hitachi Sells Identity Management Business to Volaris Group

Michael Novinson  •  September 13, 2022

Japanese conglomerate Hitachi has sold its small identity-as-a-service practice to Canadian software specialist Volaris Group to drive better execution around core products. The firm found it was easy to get lost within Hitachi given the conglomerate's size and focus on electronics and engineering.

Netskope CEO Sanjay Beri on Pushing Into SD-WAN, IoT Defense

Michael Novinson  •  September 12, 2022

Netskope has built out a full SASE stack and helped enterprises secure their physical devices through the recent acquisitions of Infiot and WootCloud. Buying SD-WAN provider Infiot in August will boost the convergence of networking and security and help customers quickly on-ramp users in the cloud.