MDR, SIEM, SOAR, Threat Hunting, Threat Management, Threat Intelligence

Lumifi Buys Castra, Bolsters SIEM Capabilities

Lumifi has purchased Castra Managed Services to "expand its capabilities and reinforce its commitment to the Gartner (SOC) Visibility triad," the company announced.

The news comes after Lumifi in September 2023 said it planned to complete an acquisition "in the next 45 days."

Financial terms of the Castra transaction were not disclosed.

This is technology M&A deal number 275 that MSSP Alert and sister site ChannelE2E have covered so far in 2023.

Lumifi, founded in 2022, is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. The company has 64 employees listed on LinkedIn. Lumifi's areas of expertise include managed detection and response (MDR), security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) and incident response.

Castra, founded in 2012, is based in Durham, North Carolina. The company has 18 employees listed on LinkedIn. Castra's areas of expertise include MDR, security information and event management (SIEM) and threat intelligence.

Lumifi and Castra Help Organizations See and Understand Cyber Threats

Together, Lumifi and Castra amplify the Gartner SOC Visibility Triad, the companies said. This triad consists of three components:

  • Endpoint detection and response (EDR)
  • Network detection and response (NDR)
  • SIEM

Furthermore, Lumifi and Castra will provide their joint customers with an SOC that utilizes Lumifi's ShieldVision SOAR platform and Castra's MDR services, the companies noted. These customers can use ShieldVision to hunt for, detect and respond to threats.

Meanwhile, Castra provides expertise in Exabeam SIEM and ensures that organizations of all sizes and budgets can use its MDR services in conjunction with ShieldVision to secure their infrastructure.

Lumifi Announces Expansion Plans

The Castra acquisition comes after Lumifi in September 2023 signed a lease that will keep the company at SkySong, The ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center, through 2030.

In addition, Lumifi intends to expand its existing SOC at SkySong and estimates its growth to be up to 25,000 square feet in the next three years. Once this move is completed, it will nearly triple the size of Lumifi's SOC, the company noted.

Along with these things, Lumifi plans to onboard 75 to 100 new personnel, the company said. At this time, 85% of Lumifi's staff earned more than $100,000 annually.

Moving forward, Lumifi will enhance its technological capabilities through targeted acquisitions as part of its growth strategy, the company said in September 2023. Lumifi also has partnerships in place with CrowdStrike, SentinelOne and other cybersecurity and technology providers and could explore new partnership opportunities.

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.