10 Jan Google buys Siemplify in first phase of pledge to cyber investment
Google has made its first steps as it pledges to invest in long-term security and prevent future cyber attacks by completing the purchase of Israeli company Siemplify.
The move to purchase Siemplify was due to its specialism within security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR). Google has not disclosed the final sum paid for the company, but it’s rumoured to be in the region of $500m.
Google previously announced its plans for deep security development in August 2021, and the acquisition of Siemplify is believed to be one of the first steps if many this year.
In previous announcements, Google disclosed its plans to fold Siemplify’s platform into the Google Cloud Chronicle service and to build a stronger foundation for its own cyber security services proposition.
In previous statements, Google said that unifying SOAR capabilities with Chronicle’s security analytics toolset was an important step forward in a larger vision. They plan to build an “intuitive, efficient, security operations workflow around planet-scale security telemetry” that realises the goal of a “modern threat management stack” that “empowers customers to go beyond typical security event and information management [SIEM] and extended detection and response [XDR] tooling”. It hopes this model will be effective and be able to be provided to its customers at scale and speed in the ongoing battle against cyber attacks and cyber crime.
Sunil Potti, Google Cloud Security vice-president and general manager, said: “In a time when cyber attacks are rapidly growing in both frequency and sophistication, there’s never been a better time to bring these two companies together.
“We both share the belief that security analysts need to be able to solve more incidents with greater complexity while requiring less effort and less specialised knowledge. With Siemplify, we will change the rules on how organisations hunt, detect and respond to threats.”
Amos Stern, CEO at Siemplify, said: “We’re excited to join Google Cloud and build on the success we’ve had in the market helping companies address growing security threats. Together with Chronicle’s rich security analytics and threat intelligence, we can truly help security professionals transform the security operations centre [SOC] to defend against today’s threats.”
Prior to being acquired, Siemplify had previously worked with global financial services organisations and large manufacturers as well as managed security service providers. One example of these types of providers includes Oxford-based Longwall Security, which works with the likes of insurance firm Aviva, and high street supermarket chain Co-op.
What does this mean for security in the Middle East?
The acquisition of Israeli company Siemplify by a global technology giant is a strong sign the Middle East is committed to strengthening the defences against cybercrime and developing essential new practices to keep organisations safe from future attacks.
The United Arab Emirates is one of the latest countries to sign up to the UN Security Council and has announced its “Stronger United” commitments for its term from 2022 to 2023.
The commitments will guide the UAE’s engagement with the Security Council and UN member states throughout its term, which include securing peace, advancing inclusion, building resilience, and driving forward innovation. The council meets to discuss all aspects of security, including threats posed by cyber crime.