The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2013

Aug 9, 2013 17:31 GMT  ·  By

Security-as-a-Service (SaaS) provider Proofpoint, Inc., has entered an agreement to acquire Taiwan-based Armorize Technologies, a company that offers cloud-based anti-malware solutions, for $25 million (€18.7 million) in cash.

Armorize employs over 35 certified ethical hackers who specialize in cloud-based threat intelligence, real-time threat protection, advanced malware detection research, and detection of unknown vulnerabilities and zero-day attacks.

The zero-day malware detection technology has already been integrated into Proofpoint’s Targeted Attack Protection.

“We've been leveraging key Armorize technology in our Targeted Attack Protection for almost a year, and the effectiveness has been phenomenal,” comments Proofpoint CEO Gary Steele.

“Acquiring Armorize solidifies Proofpoint’s leading position in cloud-based, next-generation threat detection technology and gives us full access to Armorize's world-class malware research expertise.”

Armorize CEO Wayne Huang, PhD., is a frequent speaker at international security conferences. He is also the author of several cyber security papers.

Huang states, “We are proud to join forces with a company that is leading the way in the fight to keep data safe in the face of evolving attacks such as Advanced Persistent Threats.”

He adds, “Being part of the Proofpoint organization will definitely enable Armorize to further leverage our core technologies and research across a wider range of customers.”

As far as Armorize’s products are concerned, Huang believes the company’s HackAlert Suite will be improved at a much faster rate than before.

“Coupled with Proofpoint's sales and customer support resources, HackAlert Suite will be able to help a much wider spectrum of businesses in their fight against next generation threats,” he says in a blog post.

The deal will be closed in the third quarter of this year.

Proofpoint says it expects the merger to have an immaterial impact on revenues and billings during the third quarter and full year of 2013.