IBM Security plans to acquire endpoint security software company ReaQta as part of an eXtended Detection and Response (XDR) strategy that engages MSSP partners. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
This is technology M&A deal number 698 that MSSP Alert and sister site ChannelE2E have covered so far in 2021.
ReaQta appears to be an early-stage company. The business, which has 42 employees listed on LinkedIn, raised an undisclosed level of Series A funding in May 2021, according to FinSMEs.
This deal is the latest piece in IBM CEO Arvind Krishna’s effort to pivot IBM toward multi-cloud software and related consulting services that drive business automation.
IBM QRadar XDR for MSSPs
Also today, IBM announced the QRadar XDR brand and related solutions to provide "comprehensive visibility across security tools and data sources, whether in the cloud or on-premises, and equipping security teams with the insights and automation they need to act quickly, the company said.
The QRadar XDR suite also addresses Security Information and Event Management (SIEM), Network Detection and Response (NDR), and Security Orchestration Automation and Response (SOAR), IBM indicated. ReaQta will extend that suite with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) capabilities, IBM added.
Also of note, IBM introduced XDR Connect, which "helps companies connect and automate threat detection and response across existing toolsets," the company asserted.
In a nod to MSSP partners, IBM indicated that QRadar XDR is designed to be deployed by managed security services providers (MSSPs). IBM itself runs a Top 250 MSSP business.
IBM Buys ReaQta: Executive Perspectives
In a prepared statement about the acquisition, IBM Security GM Mary O'Brien said:
"Complexity has created a cloak that attackers are operating under, furthering their ability to circumvent defenders. The future of security is open, using technologies that can connect the security insights that are buried across disparate tools and advanced AI to identify and automatically respond to threats more quickly across their entire infrastructure, from endpoint to cloud. With our expanded capabilities via QRadar XDR and the planned addition of ReaQta, IBM is helping clients get ahead of attackers with the first XDR solution that reduces vendor lock-in via the use of open standards."
Added Alberto Pelliccione, CEO at ReaQta:
"Our mission at ReaQta has been to better equip the defenders, who are tirelessly striving to stay ahead of cyber threats, with advanced technology to quickly identify and block new attacks. Joining forces with IBM will enable us to enhance and scale our unique AI capabilities across all types of environments via a proven platform for threat detection and response."
ReaQt, is headquartered in Singapore and has business offices in the Netherlands. The deal is expected to close before 2022, IBM indicated.
