Wednesday 8 January 2014

Orange Business Services buys cyber defence firm Atheos for security push

Two people shaking hands
Orange Business Services has bought out cyber defence company Atheos and created a new brand under its business services division: Orange CyberDefense.
While the financial specifics of the deal have not been revealed, Orange stated that the decision to purchase Atheos was to advance its offering in several key corporate security areas. These include better access control management, data loss prevention, and proactive defence to identify vulnerabilities and detect more subtle attacks.
Founded in France in 2002, Atheos employs 130 people primarily working with large French firms on their security strategies.
Orange Business Services senior executive vice president Thierry Bonhomme said having Atheos under its wing would set Orange apart from its rivals. "Security is a critical concern for our customers, which means that the provision of robust security services has now become a strategic priority for Orange Business Services," he said.
"With this acquisition, we are now the only European provider able to support companies implementing multidimensional protection strategies, and this significantly reinforces our commitment to customers to support them, as a trusted partner, in an increasingly digital world."
General manager and founder of Atheos Michel Van Den Berghe added: "By joining Orange Business Services, we will benefit from its unique expertise of critical infrastructure to take us to the next level. Orange CyberDefense offers a credible response to the security requirements of large companies and government agencies."
Orange now claims to be Europe's largest cyber defence company, adding Atheos to its eight pre-existing security operation centres around the world.
The deal comes just a few days after FireEye announced a $1bn deal for security firm Mandiant, as consolidation in the security market continues rapidly.

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