LevelBlue has signed a definitive agreement to acquire
Trustwave, a move that will create the largest independent, pure-play managed security services provider (MSSP) in the market. The deal builds on LevelBlue’s ongoing strategy to consolidate top-tier cybersecurity assets, following its recent agreement to acquire Aon’s cybersecurity consulting business.
“LevelBlue’s acquisition of Trustwave, in combination with its acquisition of
Aon’s cybersecurity consulting business, positions LevelBlue to be the world’s largest pureplay managed security services provider (MSSP) in the industry,” told
Robert McCullen, Chairman and CEO of LevelBlue to MSSP Alert.
“The addition of
Trustwave and its Fusion platform strengthens our managed detection and response capabilities, expands our global go-to-market footprint and adds FedRAMP and StateRAMP authorizations that will help accelerate our growth across multiple vertical and geographic markets. The integration of Trustwave’s Fusion platform with LevelBlue’s AI-powered threat detection will redefine how we deliver measurable security outcomes at scale.”
From Platform Consolidation to Full-Stack Vision
As security buyers demand fewer tools and more integration, MSSPs are adjusting their playbooks. With Trustwave, LevelBlue is adding cloud-native MDR capabilities, threat research from SpiderLabs, and a strong customer base across commercial and government sectors. Combined with LevelBlue’s own threat detection platform, the acquisition supports faster detection, deeper visibility, and more streamlined response.
“The combination of LevelBlue’s AI-driven threat detection with Trustwave’s Fusion Platform and SpiderLabs threat intelligence will deliver a trifecta of protection for our customers across detection accuracy, mean time to respond, and depth of visibility,” McCullen said. “We expect this to first show up in the quality of detection but quickly extend into actionable response. Coupled with the capabilities we are acquiring from Aon, LevelBlue will provide customers with a true world-class incident readiness and response – delivered as a managed service. Operationally, this means better outcomes for our customers.”
FedRAMP as a Growth Catalyst, Not a Limiter
Trustwave’s status as the first pure-play MDR provider with full FedRAMP authorization, and additional StateRAMP credentials, expands LevelBlue’s access to federal, state, and local government markets. While scaling in the public sector often takes time, LevelBlue is entering that market with momentum.
“The fact is, LevelBlue is already at scale in the federal market,” McCullen highlighted. “Today our federal market footprint manages secure internet access that covers more than 30 federal agencies with dedicated and cleared security operations resources. Given our resources and capacity in the federal market, we don’t anticipate any slowdown in commercial, federal or state and local business.”
Early Innings of a Full-Stack Security Platform
With Trustwave and Aon’s cyber consulting practice now in the mix, LevelBlue is shaping what could become a broad cybersecurity and risk platform that spans MDR, strategic advisory, compliance, and incident response.
“LevelBlue is still young, in fact, we just celebrated our
one year anniversary as a standalone company this past May,” McCullen emphasized. “We are fortunate to be off to a fast start with these acquisitions which positions LevelBlue as the largest pureplay managed security services provider (MSSP) in the industry. We are still in the early innings of creating a full-stack cybersecurity and risk management platform that will help us become the next great security company.”
Consolidation as a Response to a Crowded Market
Security teams are dealing with fragmented tools and increasing pressure to respond quickly to evolving threats. LevelBlue sees consolidation not just as a business move, but as a way to address real pain points.
“The MSSP and MDR markets are certainly maturing while remaining quite fragmented,” said McCullen. “At LevelBlue, we believe that it is the companies that deliver full stack cybersecurity as-a-service that will deliver better outcomes to customers in the long run. Our consolidation strategy is not only focused on scale but also bringing together the best combination of market leading technology, threat intelligence, and detection and response capabilities to reduce risk and improve cybersecurity outcomes for businesses.”
Channel Partners Remain Central to Growth
While the acquisition may appear to target large enterprises and public sector clients, LevelBlue says its
partner-first approach remains unchanged, and Trustwave’s portfolio will be extended to MSP and MSSP partners.
“LevelBlue has several hundred MSPs and MSSPs enrolled in our recently enhanced partner program that launched in March,” McCullen noted. “Our channel partner program focuses on simplifying cybersecurity for MSPs, MSSPs and resellers by providing flexible consumption-based business models and access to all cybersecurity services in the LevelBlue portfolio. We plan to extend Trustwave’s solutions and Aon’s cybersecurity consulting services to our channel partners so our business can continue to scale beyond large enterprise and government buyers.”
This move isn’t just about adding size. The Trustwave acquisition signals a broader shift in how LevelBlue is building out its managed security platform, layering in deeper advisory expertise, stronger detection capabilities, and more AI-driven automation. It’s about pulling all the right pieces together to simplify cybersecurity at scale, without losing flexibility or focus.
