So the rumors were true. Today, Microsoft confirmed the acquisition of cybersecurity company Hexadite.
Although Microsoft said it wasn't disclosing terms of the agreement, a previous report said the tech giant paid $100 million for the Boston-based firm.
The acquisition buzz began around the end of May, when the Israeli business news website Calcalist wrote that Microsoft had finalized the deal, citing “market sources.”
The news was first reported by an Israeli source probably because Hexadite's research and development department is based in Tel-Aviv, where the company was founded in 2014. Hexadite opened its Boston headquarters in 2016, which raises the question of what is going to happen to the Boston employees following the acquisition.
Microsoft let us know that the company expects a large number of the Hexadite team to join Microsoft as part of the Windows and Devices Group. “Microsoft will be working with the Hexadite team to determine the best options for location,” a Microsoft spokesperson wrote in an email to BostInno.
Hexadite produces AI-powered software to investigate online threats, rate the seriousness of alerts and provide an automated response. The Hexadite software will likely become part of Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (WDATP), which helps Windows 10 customers detect, investigate and respond to advanced attacks on their networks. “With Hexadite, WDATP will include endpoint security automated remediation,” Microsoft said in a statement.
“Our vision is to deliver a new generation of security capabilities that helps our customers protect, detect and respond to the constantly evolving and ever-changing cyberthreat landscape,” Terry Myerson, executive vice president, Windows and Devices Group, Microsoft, said in a statement “Hexadite’s technology and talent will augment our existing capabilities and enable our ability to add new tools and services to Microsoft’s robust enterprise security offerings.”
In 2016, Hexadite raised $8 million Series A from Hewlett Packard Ventures, Ten Eleven Ventures and YL Ventures.
