Google Buys Mandiant For $5.4bn
Google has announced plans to buy Mandiant, a leading US cyber security group for $5.4 billion in an all-cash transaction.
This will Google’s second-largest acquisition ever, in an attempt to strengthen its cloud-computing business amid rapidly growing demand. The acquisition is expected to enhance Google's cloud computing business, which generates more than $19 billion annually, and bolster its security operations and advisory services.
Mandiant’s operations, which employ over 600 security consultants and 300 intelligence analysts, will be folded into Google Cloud to create an “end-to-end security operations suite.”
A range of services will be offered, from consulting on cyber security to detecting upcoming threats and testing company’s digital defences. “Organisations around the world are facing unprecedented cybersecurity challenges as the sophistication and severity of attacks that were previously used to target major governments are now being used to target companies in every industry,” Google Cloud’s CEO Thomas Kurian said in a blog. “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.”
Mandiant is well known for uncovering the SolarWinds attack, which was a massive operation thought to be sponsored by the Russian government that compromised computers across the US federal government. The attack went unnoticed for the best part of a year until Mandiant reported details of the operation in December 2020.
Microsoft had been rumoured as a buyer of Mandiant. Microsoft and Google have been competing to control the lucrative cloud services market, where cybersecurity plays an increasingly prominent role. “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,” Mandiant CEO Kevin Mandia said in a press statement.
“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.” Mandia said. The transaction is expected to close later this year.
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