Microsoft Corp is in talks to buy cybersecurity research and incident response firm Mandiant in a deal that would strengthen Microsoft’s efforts to protect customers from hackers and intrusions, people familiar with the matter said.
The current negotiations may not result in a takeover offer. Shares of Mandiant surged 18% in New York on the news, giving it a market value of nearly $4.3 billion. It was previously valued at $3.6 billion. Microsoft shares rose 1.2 percent to $304.56. Both Mandiant and Microsoft declined to comment.
The addition of Mandiant will enhance Microsoft’s arsenal of products to protect customers and counter cybersecurity threats. Last year, Microsoft acquired two smaller cybersecurity companies and said last month that the company’s security software sales would reach $15 billion in 2021, up nearly 45% from a year earlier.
Microsoft last year also appointed former Amazon cloud executive Charlie Bell to head the security business, saying the company has 3,500 employees responsible for securing customers “from the chip to the cloud.”