Microsoft on Monday said it's acquiring CyberX, a cybersecurity start-up focused on internet-connected industrial equipment. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, although a May report from Israeli news outlet Globes said Microsoft was in talks to pay $165 million for the startup.
Microsoft offers security products across several categories, including antivirus software and a service for securing the use of cloud applications. In recent years the company has become more interested in managing systems in the so-called internet of things, or IoT; last year it bought Express Logic, a company that makes an operating system for connected devices.
With the acquisition of CyberX, Microsoft will gain additional technology for monitoring corporate hardware like alarms, cameras, phones and industrial control systems for security vulnerabilities.
"CyberX will complement the existing Azure IoT security capabilities, and extends to existing devices including those used in industrial IoT, operational technology and infrastructure scenarios," Microsoft corporate vice presidents Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk and Sam George wrote in a blog post.
"With CyberX, customers can discover their existing IoT assets, and both manage and improve the security posture of those devices. With CyberX, customers can see a digital map of thousands of devices across a factory floor or within a building and gather information about their asset profile and vulnerabilities."
Microsoft expects to integrate CyberX with existing technology, including the cloud-based Azure Sentinel service the company introduced last year for battling security threats, Braverman-Blumenstyk and George wrote.
CyberX was founded in 2013 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts, with more than 150 employees, according to LinkedIn data. The start-up has raised $47 million, according to Crunchbase. Investors include Qualcomm Ventures and Norwest Venture Partners. Customers listed on the start-up's website include Deutsche Telekom, SGN and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries.
In 2018 Microsoft announced a commitment to spend $5 billion on the internet of things over four years.
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