Palo Alto Networks is embarking on a significant acquisition spree in the cloud data security sector, with plans to spend $625 million on acquiring the Israeli startup Talon Cyber Security. This move follows Palo Alto’s recent announcement of a $400 million acquisition of data security posture management startup Dig Security.
These acquisitions reflect Palo Alto’s aggressive push to bolster its enterprise cloud data security offerings, positioning itself as a strong competitor in this space, rivalling Cisco. Palo Alto intends to integrate Talon’s secure browser technology into its Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) suite, enhancing the security of all devices, whether managed or unmanaged, while aligning with zero-trust principles.
Palo Alto’s Vice President, Anand Oswal, emphasized the inefficiency of current approaches to securing unmanaged devices, which often compromise flexibility and user experience or require complex technologies. With the acquisition of Talon, Palo Alto aims to empower unmanaged devices to securely access enterprise apps, offering protection against threats like malware, phishing, and keyloggers.
Additionally, the technology will enable Palo Alto to implement data security controls directly in the browser, preventing data exfiltration. This strategic move aligns with the trend set by Microsoft, which recently introduced a native browsing experience tightly integrated with enterprise-grade security and manageability features, potentially disrupting the startup ecosystem in the enterprise browser category.
