Why You Can Trust CNET Microsoft to acquire cybersecurity company RiskIQ
The deal comes as cyberattacks have become an increasing threat.
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Microsoft is looking to expand its security portfolio with the addition of RiskIQ. The tech giant on Monday said it plans to acquire RiskIQ, a San Francisco-based cybersecurity company that helps discover and assess threats across enterprise networks and supply chains.
"With the acquisition of RiskIQ, we will continue our mission to help customers defend their growing digital estate against increasing cyber threats," wrote Eric Doerr, vice president of cloud security at Microsoft, in a blog post. He added that the acquisition will allow Microsoft to help companies "build a more comprehensive view of the global threats to their businesses, better understand vulnerable internet-facing assets, and build world-class threat intelligence."
The deal comes after several high-profile cyberattacks in the past year that have impacted federal agencies and private companies. Last year, a hacking campaign that used tainted software from IT management company SolarWinds, along with other methods, breached thousands of organizations and tunneled into at least nine federal agencies and 100 private companies. In December, Microsoft said that it had identified more than 40 customers targeted in the attack, and that its systems had been exposed as well.
Terms of the deal weren't disclosed. On Sunday, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is paying more than $500 million for RiskIQ.