Cerberus Cyber Sentinel of Scottsdale, Arizona, has acquired Clear Skies Security, a cybersecurity assessment firm in Atlanta, Georgia. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Cerberus is a cybersecurity consulting firm and managed security services provider (MSSP). Cerberus ranked Number 208 in our Top 250 MSSPs research for 2020. Clear Skies did not surface in our research survey.
This is M&A deal number 385 that MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E have covered so far in 2020. See the full M&A deal list here.
MSSP Acquires Cybersecurity Assessment Firm: Deal Details
Under the terms of the agreement, Clear Skies will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Cerberus Sentinel. The acquired business will remain in Atlanta, and will continue to provide security assessments and penetration testing services to U.S. customers. Clear Skies President Brad MacKenzie transitions to the new title of managing director for Cerberus Sentinel. Additional headcount details were not disclosed.
In a statement about the deal, David Jemmett, CEO and founder of Cerberus Sentinel, said:
“Clear Skies adds substantial experience to our security assessment capabilities. Clear Skies serves as trusted security advisors and has a depth of talent proven to evolve with changing technologies. Their customer-first culture and talented team are a valuable addition to the Cerberus Sentinel team. Clear Skies will further enable our differentiation in the marketplace and continue expanding our expertise and offerings in the cybersecurity field."
Added MacKenzie:
“Organizations have a wide range of diverse challenges and requirements for information security. Clear Skies Security has always delivered high quality technical security assessments, and we are proud to join the Cerberus Sentinel team. Being part of this elite team of security practitioners, delivering high quality services over the entire security spectrum, fits perfectly with our mission of being a trusted security advisor.”
MSSP Mergers and Acquisitions: Deal Activity
MSSPs worldwide remain in aggressive merger and acquisition (M&A) mode. The deals generally address talent or skills gaps, speed to market opportunities, regional needs or scale/growth goals.
We've seen 15 MSSP M&A deals so far in 20209. Moreover, this is the third M&A deal we've seen in September 2020. The other two involved:
- Avertium acquired 1440 Security in a deal that united two Top 250 MSSPs.
- Secureworks acquired Delve for vulnerability management software.
Here's a list tracking dozens of MSSP mergers and acquisitions that we have compiled since 2018.
