Horangi Acquisition: Key Details, Impact, and What Comes Next

Bitdefender's acquisition of Singapore-based Horangi Cyber Security marks a significant step in the cybersecurity landscape. This strategic move enhances Bitdefender's capabilities in cloud security, particularly in Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). The integration of Horangi's expertise is expected to bolster Bitdefender's offerings, addressing complex cybersecurity challenges in multi-cloud environments.

What Is Horangi?

Founded in 2016, Horangi Cyber Security specializes in cloud security solutions, offering products like Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM). Horangi's unique selling points include its focus on multi-cloud environments and its ability to provide comprehensive security insights through its proprietary technology. This positions Horangi as a key player in addressing complex cybersecurity challenges, particularly in dynamic and diverse cloud infrastructures.

Who Acquired Horangi?

Bitdefender is a global leader in cybersecurity, providing advanced threat prevention, detection, and response solutions. The company offers a range of products for consumers, small businesses, and enterprises, including Ultimate Security, GravityZone Platform, and Managed Detection and Response (MDR). Recognized as a leader in endpoint security by Forrester, Bitdefender's solutions are trusted by millions worldwide, underscoring its significant influence and strong market position in the cybersecurity industry.

When Was Horangi Acquired?

Bitdefender completed the acquisition of Horangi Cyber Security on 16 August 2023. This acquisition aligns with the rapid growth of multi-cloud adoption across industries, where organizations face challenges in managing configuration settings, permissions, identities, and entitlements. By integrating Horangi's CIEM and CSPM solutions, Bitdefender aims to address these challenges, enhancing its GravityZone platform and positioning itself to meet the increasing demand for robust cloud security solutions.

Why Was Horangi Acquired?

• Market Expansion: The acquisition of Horangi Cyber Security allows Bitdefender to expand its product and services portfolio, particularly in cloud infrastructure entitlement management and cloud security posture management. This strategic move enhances Bitdefender's ability to offer enriched attack surface monitoring capabilities and address a broader range of cybersecurity challenges for business customers worldwide.
• Technology Integration: Bitdefender is integrating Horangi’s Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) solutions into its GravityZone unified risk and security analytics platform. This integration provides critical cloud security governance and compliance capabilities, in addition to Bitdefender's existing threat prevention, protection, attack detection, and incident response services.
• Competitive Advantage: The acquisition strengthens Bitdefender's position against competitors by enhancing its GravityZone platform with critical adjacent products and services. The addition of Horangi’s expert team of CREST-certified security analysts and consultants further bolsters Bitdefender’s Managed Detection & Response (MDR) services, providing real-time attack detection and response capabilities. This move is expected to help Bitdefender meet the increasing demand for comprehensive attack surface monitoring and multi-cloud infrastructure security controls.

Acquisition Terms

• Acquisition Price: The terms of the transaction, including the acquisition price, were not disclosed.
• Payment Method: The payment method was not specified in the announcements.
• Key Conditions or Agreements:
  • The transaction is expected to close subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
  • Bitdefender will integrate Horangi’s Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) solutions into its GravityZone platform.
  • Horangi’s team of CREST-certified security analysts, penetration testers, red teams, and security consultants will be absorbed into Bitdefender.

Impact on Horangi

The acquisition of Horangi Cyber Security by Bitdefender has led to significant changes in operations and management. Horangi’s team of CREST-certified security analysts, penetration testers, red teams, and security consultants have been integrated into Bitdefender’s operations. This integration aims to enhance Bitdefender's Managed Detection & Response (MDR) services and expand its attack surface monitoring capabilities. Additionally, Horangi’s Cloud Infrastructure Entitlement Management (CIEM) and Cloud Security Posture Management (CSPM) solutions are now part of Bitdefender’s GravityZone platform, providing advanced cloud security governance and compliance capabilities.

In terms of product offerings and services, the acquisition has enriched Bitdefender’s portfolio with Horangi’s CIEM and CSPM solutions, enhancing the GravityZone platform. This move is expected to provide Bitdefender’s customers, managed service providers, and channel partners with improved cloud security governance and compliance solutions. Employee reactions have been positive, with Horangi’s CEO, Paul Hadjy, expressing excitement about the strategic alignment with Bitdefender. While direct customer reactions are not detailed, the acquisition is anticipated to help customers address multi-cloud security challenges more effectively.

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