Palo Alto Networks wields LightCyber in $105m acquisition

Behavioural analytics vendor to be integrated into Palo Alto's security platform

Palo Alto Networks has acquired behavioural analytics vendor LightCyber for $105m (£85m).

LightCyber uses machine learning to build knowledge of how users and devices operate on a network, which allows it to detect changes in behaviour when attacks are made.

Mark McLaughlin, CEO at Palo Alto Networks, said: "The LightCyber team's vision to bring automation and machine learning to bear in addressing the very difficult task of identifying otherwise undetected and often very sophisticated attacks inside the network is well aligned with our platform approach.

"This technology will complement the existing automated threat-prevention capabilities of our platform to help organisations not only improve but also scale their security protections to prevent cyber breaches."

Palo Alto said it will continue to offer LightCyber products and support existing customers while it integrates the technology into its own security platform - a process it expects to complete by the end of 2017.

Founded in 2012, LightCyber launched in Europe last year with offices in Munich and Kent.

2016 also saw it raise $20m in Series B funding, taking its total raised to $32m since 2011. Investors include Shlomo Kramer - founder of Check Point, Imperva and Cato Networks.

Gonen Fink, CEO at LightCyber, said: "Palo Alto Networks has been driving a paradigm shift in the security industry with its natively engineered and highly automated next-generation security platform, designed to change the equation in how organisations prevent cyber breaches.

"We are pleased to join the Palo Alto Networks team, combining our technology innovations and accelerating adoption of behavioural analytics to help organisations bolster their defences against the advanced and sophisticated adversaries they are facing today."