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LookingGlass Cyber Solutions Buys BI Firm Next5, Appoints New CEO

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LookingGlass Cyber Solutions, a threat intelligence provider, has acquires business intelligence and strategic advisory firm Next5 for an undisclosed sum.

This is technology M&A deal number 468 that MSSP Alert and sister site ChannelE2E have covered so far in 2022.

Next5 supports LookingGlass' growth initiatives and complements the company's cyber solutions, the businesses said. It provides LookingGlass customers with strategic analyses as they explore ways to combat evolving cyber threats.

As part of the Next5 acquisition, LookingGlass has appointed company founder Bryan Ware as its CEO.

Prior to founding Next5, Ware served as the first presidentially appointed assistant director of cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). In this role, Ware developed the agency's first five-year strategy to modernize its sensor and computing infrastructure.

Also, Ware previously was an assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He served as DHS's advisor on cybersecurity and emerging technology matters and led strategic initiatives for the U.S. government and its allies.

The Next5 acquisition comes after LookingGlass in June 2021 purchased AlphaWave, which specializes in attack surface management solutions.

LookingGlass has integrated AlphaWave's attack management capabilities into its offerings to provide organizations with deep attack surface visibility into cloud and container environments, the company stated. It also enables AlphaWave customers to access its threat intelligence capabilities and repositories.

What Does the Future Hold for LookingGlass?

LookingGlass will build up its sales and marketing team, Ware indicated. It plans to put a sales and marketing strategy in place in 2022 and execute on it in 2023.

Furthermore, LookingGlass is positioned to target organizations across the commercial market, Ware noted. It can provide organizations with automated vulnerability scanning and other security tools to help them guard against cyber threats.

LookingGlass delivers threat and network intelligence solutions and services to public sector organizations and Fortune 500 companies.

Dan Kobialka

Dan Kobialka is senior contributing editor, MSSP Alert and ChannelE2E. He covers IT security, IT service provider business strategies and partner programs. Dan holds a M.A. in Print and Multimedia Journalism from Emerson College and a B.A. in English from Bridgewater State University. In his free time, Dan enjoys jogging, traveling, playing sports, touring breweries and watching football.