5 Cybersecurity M&A deals to close out 2024

December 2024 saw a flurry of 37 cybersecurity merger and acquisition deals announced before the end of the year, as detailed in this roundup from Security Week. 

Here’s our pick of five of those deals (in no particular order) that point to key trends for cybersecurity in 2025. 

1. Cisco to acquire SnapAttack

On 19 December Cisco announced its intention to acquire SnapAttack, with financial terms to be confirmed. The plan is to boost the security product capabilities of Cisco’s security software company Splunk, using SnapAttack’s sophisticated detection engineering, threat hunting, threat intelligence, and SIEM migration capabilities. 

This move reflects a growing trend for multivector attacks which demand advanced monitoring and detection in order to protect organisations and individuals. 

2. Citrix acquired DeviceTrust and Strong Network

On December 10, Citrix announced its acquisition of DeviceTrust and Strong Network, based in Germany and Switzerland respectively. 

The goal? It’s a strategic move to expand the zero trust capabilities of the Citrix platform, leveraging real-time protection provided by DeviceTrust, and Strong Network’s platform which enables secure cloud development environments. Zero trust is a top priority for cybersecurity teams in 2025. 

3. OPSWAT acquired Fend

Critical infrastructure security leader OPSWAT announced its acquisition of Fend – an advanced data pipeline and security firm that specialises in securing operational technology against cyber threats, including ransomware. Fend has a track record of success in protecting critical service providers, including utilities, manufacturing, and oil and gas; as well as protecting US government agencies. 

Through this acquisition, OPSWAT positions itself as the most comprehensive provider of Data Diodes and Unidirectional Gateways, with tools including multiscanning, sandboxing, and Fend’s trademarked proprietary technologies. 

4. Arctic Wolf acquired Cylance 

In a move that highlights the increasing pressure on endpoint security, Arctic Wolf announced its acquisition of Cylance from Blackberry, in a deal that included cash and Arctic Wolf common shares. Blackberry has sold Cylance for a fraction of the amount it spent on acquiring it back in 2018 – but Arctic Wolf will drive even more value from this deal by using Cylance’s endpoint security to enhance its capabilities and offer an end-to-end security platform. 

According to Security Week, Nick Schneideer (President and CEO at Arctic Wolf) said: 

“By incorporating Cylance’s endpoint security capabilities into our open-XDR Aurora platform, we will be addressing a rampant need for a truly unified, effective security operations that delivers better outcomes for customers. We believe we will be able to rapidly eliminate alert fatigue, reduce total risk exposure, and help customers unlock further value with our warranty and insurability programs.” 

5. Gen Digital acquired MoneyLion

Gen Digital owns a number of the most popular antivirus brands – including Avast, AVG, Avira, and Norton. MoneyLion is a fintech company providing small credit-building loans and other consumer finance products. And in December, Gen Digital announced its acquisition of MoneyLion – in a move that will enable the company to expand the ways in which it helps consumers protect and improve their digital and financial lives.  

In a press release, Vincent Pilette (CEO at Gen Digital) said:

"Gen has a family of consumer brands that's dedicated to protecting people's privacy, identity and financial assets so they can live their digital lives securely and without worry. By bringing MoneyLion into the Gen family, we're not only helping people protect what they already have, we're extending our capabilities to enable people to better manage and grow their financial wealth.” 

It’s a move that illuminates the changing roles of cybersecurity providers as digitalisation continues. The more people use digital services to run various aspects of their lives, the more integral cybersecurity becomes to our overall wellbeing; so it makes sense that we’re seeing an increase in crossovers between cybersecurity services and the provision of other digital services, like finance. 

Put yourself at the forefront of cybersecurity with Black Hat MEA 2025 

We’re expecting a surge in industry-shaping M&A deals in 2025, as cybersecurity firms work to expand their capabilities and provide more value in the digital era. If you want to stay ahead of the curve and position yourself at the forefront of cybersecurity evolution, register now to attend Black Hat MEA 2025.