Sophos has acquired Rook Security, a Top 20 MDR (managed detection and response) company that employs a team of 24/7 team cyberthreat hunters and incident response experts. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In some ways, Sophos has been evolving into a master MSSP of sorts -- providing managed security services and MDR capabilities to VARs, MSPs and MSSPs worldwide. Building on that strategy, Sophos has vowed to offer Rook Security's MDR services via channel partners worldwide.
The message reinforces similar channel-centric themes that VP Kendra Krause shared after Sophos acquired DarkBytes -- another MDR specialist -- earlier this year.
Sophos Executives Explain MDR Partner Opportunity
In a prepared statement today, Sophos said:
"As a channel-first, channel-best security provider, Sophos will deliver the new MDR services through its network of approximately 47,000 channel partners worldwide."
Added Sophos CTO Joe Levy: “With MDR, Sophos’ channel partners will be able to provide businesses of all sizes with expert services that continuously detect, hunt for and respond to security incidents.”
Rook Security founder and CEO J.J. Thompson is now senior director of managed threat response at Sophos, according to his LinkedIn profile. Rook, founded in 2008, was privately held and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Sophos Pumps Cybersecurity Services Via the Channel
Generally speaking, Sophos has a solid reputation within and across the MSP (managed IT services provider) ecosystem. The company remains in growth mode, though a lengthly list of cloud, network and endpoint protection companies have opened their arms to MSPs in recent months.
Competition within the MDR market has also escalated, as MSPs, CSPs and MSSPs each take a crack at such services.
