Proofpoint has agreed to buy the security firm Emerging Threats for $40m (£26m) in a further push into an increasingly crowded threat intelligence market.
Information on impending attacks collected through a mixture of automation and human analysis will augment Proofpoint’s existing security suites, the intention being to improve threat detection and response.
Gary Steele, chief executive at Proofpoint, said: "Proofpoint’s market-leading advanced threat detection and response products for email and social media security and compliance will be further enhanced by pairing them with Emerging Threats’ deep research and intelligence capabilities.
"We believe that the combination of Proofpoint and Emerging Threats provides the most timely, actionable end-to-end attack intelligence and protection available in the industry."
Emerging Threats’ intelligence is particularly focused on the rise in advanced persistent threats (APTs), a sophisticated type of malware developed by hackers looking for long-term gains in the form of intellectual property or data.
The acquisition follows a growing interest in the potential of analytical systems for combating cybercrime, which has provoked product releases from industry stalwarts such McAfee and newcomers such as Darktrace.
"Emerging Threats has a proven track record of effectively detecting and responding to today’s advanced cyberattacks," said Ken Gramley, chief executive officer at Emerging Threats, who will shortly join Proofpoint as VP of Emerging Threats.
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