In a bid to ramp up its response to Cyber attacks, Microsoft has announced that it is acquiring U.S.-Israeli startup Hexadite. The startup works in a niche of technology that has to do with automating responses to cyber attacks. As such, its usefulness to a company of Microsoft’s stature, that has to deal with hundreds of these attacks on a regular basis, is quite apparent.
While the companies involve have refrained from making the financial terms of the deal public, Israeli financial news website Calcalist said Microsoft would pay $100 million for Hexadite. The company has its R&D centers in Israel, which is known for its robust, cyber security and defense startup ecosystem. It also has headquarters in Boston.
Speaking about the deal, Microsoft said that it will allow it to boost its own cyber security offerings. Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Windows and Devices Group, said that Hexadite will also boost Microsoft’s enterprise security offerings and help the company better cater to its security interests.
The acquisition comes after Microsoft announced its plans to invest over $1 Billion per year in cyber security and research, earlier this year. The company has been snapping up relevant technologies and startups since then, and Hexadite forms another company with products that will help the Redmond giant beef up security in face of increasingly complex cyber attacks.
Hexadite’s investors also include HP ventures, and firms like TenEleven and YL Ventures.
