Google is reportedly in talks to acquire Austin, Texas-based Mandiant for about $5 billion, marking another big cybersecurity deal and giving the company access to Mandiant’s expertise in threat intelligence and incident response.
Google’s potential acquisition of Mandiant comes as the cybersecurity industry consolidates and private equity firms load up on companies to capitalize on the growing demand for protection against nation-state backed cyberattacks and criminal hackers. Just last month, private equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired Proofpoint for $12.3 billion and earlier this year, a consortium of investors led by Advent and Bain Capital Private Equity agreed to buy NortonLifeLock for $8.6 billion.
Mandiant, founded in 2004, has a team of more than 500 threat intelligence experts who track hacker techniques and the development of malware on a global scale. The company has been credited with discovering and exposing numerous major cyberattacks, including the Chinese military’s infiltration of Google’s networks in 2009 and the Russian government’s hacking of the Democratic National Committee’s computers in 2016. Mandiant’s recent work has focused on responding to ransomware attacks, such as the Colonial Pipeline hack last year which caused widespread gas shortages across the east coast of the United States.
Google’s interest in Mandiant is likely driven by the company’s growing focus on cybersecurity. In recent years, Google has invested heavily in its own security products and services, including its Cloud Security Command Center, which provides organizations with a unified view of their security posture across their on-premises and cloud environments. Mandiant’s expertise in threat intelligence and incident response would complement Google’s existing security offerings and help the company better protect its customers from cyberattacks.
The acquisition of Mandiant would also give Google a stronger foothold in the government market. Mandiant has a long history of working with government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Google has been trying to grow its government business in recent years, and Mandiant’s expertise would help the company compete more effectively against incumbent contractors such as Booz Allen Hamilton and Raytheon.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2022, subject to regulatory approval. If the acquisition goes through, it would be one of Google’s largest ever acquisitions. The company’s largest acquisition to date was its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility in 2012.
Google and Mandiant declined to comment on the potential acquisition.
**Source:**
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/technology/google-mandiant-deal.html.
Google in Talks to Acquire Mandiant for About $5 Billion
