10 Cybersecurity Companies Making Moves: January 2024

We’re taking a look at security vendors that unveiled acquisitions and executive hires, announced funding rounds or launched notable new products in January.

We’re taking a look at security vendors that unveiled acquisitions and executive hires, announced funding rounds or launched notable new products last month.

What follows are the details on 10 cybersecurity companies that announced major moves in January 2024.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne announced a deal to acquire application protection specialist PingSafe in a move to bolster its position in cloud security.

“With the addition of PingSafe, we intend to redefine cloud security by fusing best-of-breed cloud workload protection, AI and analytics capabilities with a modern and comprehensive CNAPP [cloud-native application protection platform],” said Ric Smith, SentinelOne’s chief product and technology officer, in a statement.

The acquisition closed Monday.

Netskope

Netskope launched a new version of its secure access service edge offering that caters more effectively to the needs of midmarket customers, the company told CRN.

In an exclusive interview with CRN, Netskope Co-Founder and CEO Sanjay Beri said that the vendor’s new offering aims to accelerate the expansion of SASE from the enterprise, where the approach has become popular in recent years, to the midmarket level. The Netskope SASE for midmarket offering also stands out providing capabilities and pricing tailored to MSPs and MSSPs, which are expected to play a leading role in delivering the technology to midmarket customers, Beri said.

Zscaler

Zscaler also unveiled a new SASE offering in January, with the unveiling of its Zscaler Zero Trust SASE.

As part of the launch, Zscaler announced its first SD-WAN offering, enabling the company to offer a single-vendor SASE platform for the first time.

Key capabilities for the Zscaler Zero Trust SASE include using the company’s adaptive AI technology to “continuously assess risk for users, devices, destinations and content,” the company said in a news release.

Silverfort

Identity protection vendor Silverfort announced a Series D funding round of $116 million led by Brighton Park Capital, at a valuation reportedly in the vicinity of $1 billion.

The company said it plans to use the funding to expand its product offerings and “accelerate its go-to-market strategy with an emphasis on channel partnerships,” Silverfort said in a news release.

Torq

In January, security “hyperautomation” startup Torq announced that has added $42 million in new funding, bringing the company to a total of $120 million to date, amid surging revenue growth.

Torq offers a no-code method for automating SecOps activities. The platform boosts security analyst productivity by completing numerous Security Operations Center (SOC) tasks faster and more easily, according to the company.

Snyk

Developer security platform vendor Snyk announced the acquisition of a startup that specializes in capturing security-relevant data from live applications. The addition of technology developed by the startup, Helios, will bolster Snyk’s capabilities around correlating code security scans with signals from runtime apps, the company said.

The acquisition follows Snyk’s recent launch of a major update to its application security posture management (ASPM) offering, AppRisk.

Abnormal Security

Abnormal Security hired longtime cybersecurity and channel industry executive Jonathan Corini as its new head of channel sales as the fast-growing company seeks to deepen its work with partners, the email security vendor said.

Corini, whose career has spanned more than two decades and included roles at numerous major cybersecurity vendors, joined Abnormal as its vice president of worldwide channel sales, the company exclusively told CRN.

In an interview, Corini said he was inspired to join Abnormal in part by the massive opportunity he sees for transforming the critically important email security space. “If you look at how Palo [Alto Networks] changed the industry of firewalls, and how CrowdStrike did that for endpoint — that's how I'm seeing Abnormal and email,” he told CRN.

Mimecast

Mimecast said in January that it has hired Marc van Zadelhoff, previously the chief executive of Devo, as its new CEO.

He takes over for Mimecast Co-Founder and CEO Peter Bauer, who will remain on the company’s board and as an “active advisor,” the company said in a news release.

Bauer, who co-founded Mimecast in 2003, said he plans to pursue “personal interests” including “addressing climate-change, environmental and social justice, and supporting young entrepreneurs.”

“I am pleased to pass the leadership torch to Marc, whom I’ve known and respected for almost a decade,” Bauer said in the release.

LastPass

Channel veteran Jessica Couto disclosed in January that she has joined password management firm LastPass as its new vice president for global channels and alliances.

In a post on LinkedIn, Couto said she is “excited to join a winning team and continue the growth with our partners around the world.”

Most recently, Couto had served as vice president of North America channels at Imperva since October 2021. Prior roles included channel leadership positions at Vectra AI, Carbonite and Bit9.

Check Point

Check Point Software Technologies unveiled its new channel program in January with an array of updates for partners across the tiering system, pricing, certifications and deal protection.

In an interview with CRN, Global Channel Chief Francisco Criado said the enhancements are aimed at helping to accelerate its expansion with partners in areas beyond its core network security segment, such as in email, cloud and endpoint security.

“We want them to sell our comprehensive portfolio,” said Criado, vice president of global partner ecosystem organization at Check Point. “They'll be rewarded for selling beyond network security, competitive displacement, investing in specialization and attracting new customers.”

Key components of the new partner program include a simplified structure, with the program moving from its prior six-tier system down to four tiers. Along with simplifying the program, the move is targeted at creating more differentiation between the tiers for partners, according to Criado.