Google is acquiring Mandiant and is adding the cybersecurity defense and response firm’s services to its Google Cloud portfolio in a $5.4 billion deal.
Mandiant, formerly part of cybersecurity firm FireEye and a reported target of Microsoft, will complement Google Cloud’s existing security offerings, including BeyondCorp Enterprise for Zero Trust and VirusTotal for malicious content and software vulnerabilities, Chronicle’s security analytics and automation, services from Security Command Center and Google Cloud’s Cybersecurity Action Team.
With the addition to Mandiant, Google hopes to enhance those offerings and deliver an end-to-end security operations suite with more capabilities to support customers across their cloud and on-premise environments.
According to Google, Mandiant will bring its real-time, in-depth threat intelligence from the frontlines of cybersecurity to Google Cloud’s cloud-native security offerings and help enterprises stay protected.
The combined services include advisory services for incident response and threat mitigation, threat detection and intelligence, automation and response tools, testing and validation and managed defense.
Google says its cloud security operations suite will continue to provide a central point of intelligence, analysis and operations across on-prem, Google Cloud and other cloud providers. The company will also support the technology partners of both companies, including the endpoint ecosystem.
System integrations, resellers and managed security services providers can now offer broad solutions to their customers, Google said in a press release.
In a statement, Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, said organizations around the world are facing unprecedented security challenges as cyberattacks increase in sophistication.
“We look forward to welcoming Mandiant to Google Cloud to further enhance our security operations suite and advisory services, and help customers address their most important security challenges,” Kurian said.
Kevin Mandia, CEO of Mandiant, in a statement, also expressed his company’s excitement in joining Google.
“There has never been a more critical time in cybersecurity. Since our founding in 2004, Mandiant’s mission has been to combat cyber attacks and protect our customers from the latest threats,” Mandia said. “To that end, we are thrilled to be joining forces with Google Cloud. Together, we will deliver expertise and intelligence at scale, changing the security industry.”
Google’s announcement came just one day after reports that Google was mulling the acquisition. The Information’s report said the deal would be Google’s second-largest transaction ever, and it would help Google compete with the larger Microsoft, which boasts a larger security portfolio.
Microsoft was rumored as a potential landing spot for the cybersecurity firm credited with discovering the compromise of SolarWinds’ IT management software, but Bloomberg reports that Microsoft pulled out of those discussions due to concern that Mandiant’s security offerings weren’t a good strategic fit.
Mandiant become an independent company last year after FireEye sold its services and managed detection business for $1.2 billion.
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