Qualys, which specializes in cloud-based information security and compliance solutions, has acquired network monitoring services provider NetWatcher for an undisclosed sum. Now, Qualys will support NetWatcher customers and partners and sell the company's offerings worldwide, according to a prepared statement.
With the acquisition, Qualys plans to integrate the NetWatcher cyber threat detection and response service into the Qualys Cloud Platform in the next 12 months. Also, NetWatcher CEO Scott Suhy will join Qualys as its vice president of strategic alliances and business development, and founder Kenneth Shelton will become Qualys's vice president of engineering for the company's real-time threat correlation platform.
What Does the NetWatcher Acquisition Mean for Qualys?
NetWatcher continuous network security monitoring technology now enables Qualys customers to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities and remediate these issues faster than ever before, Qualys indicated.
In addition, NetWatcher boasts many cybersecurity capabilities that could help Qualys bolster its cloud platform, and these include:
- Asset discovery.
- Behavioral monitoring.
- Intrusion detection.
- Log management.
- Security information and event management (SIEM).
- Vulnerability management.
NetWatcher offers cybersecurity services that enable managed service providers (MSPs) to monitor customer networks. As such, NetWatcher helps MSPs become MSSPs, the company said, and safeguard customers against a wide range of cyber threats.
Qualys Eyes the Managed Security Services Market
The NetWatcher acquisition represents one of several recent moves that may help Qualys further extend its managed security services market reach.
Qualys in July announced the Security Configuration Assessment (SCA) vulnerability management add-on for the Qualys Cloud Platform. The SCA add-on enables organizations to use Center for Internet Security (CIS) benchmarks to assess and remediate security-related configuration issues, Qualys said.
In February, Qualys partnered with IBM, enabling IBM's X-Force Command Centers to leverage Qualys Vulnerability Management, Policy Compliance, Continuous Monitoring and ThreatPROTECT capabilities. The partnership also allows IBM to integrate the Qualys Cloud Platform into its managed security services portal and single sign-on (SSO) platform.
Qualys was founded in 1999 and has roughly 9,300 customers, most of which are small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Moreover, Qualys partners with MSSPs, allowing them to deliver cloud-based security services that provide security intelligence on demand and automate the auditing, compliance and protection of IT systems and web applications.
