Cisco Buys Cloud Security Vendor CloudLock

Cisco on Tuesday said it would acquire CloudLock, a cloud-based security provider, for $293 million (£219m) in cash and stock, as companies look for ways to protect documents and other content that is increasingly hosted in remote facilities.

The Massachussetts-based startup, launched in 2007 by three co-founders who met while serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, provides cloud access security broker (CASB) technology that allows organisations to monitor the security of cloud-based content and enforce access policies regardless of the device used to access the data.

Cloud controls

It allows administrators to put in place specific controls based on location, according to the company.

The technology addresses concerns raised not only by the cloud, but also by the trend that sees employees increasingly using their own devices to carry out work tasks in locations that may range from their homes to public Wi-Fi networks.

It is compatible with Microsoft’s Office365, Google Drive, Salesforce and other cloud platforms and services.

CloudLock, which Cisco said has about 700 customers, competes with companies including Skyhigh Networks, CipherCloud, Netskope and Microsoft, which recently purchased CloudLock competitor Adallom.

Cloud native

Industry observers said CloudLock stands out from similar firms in that it is cloud-native and builds on the APIs used by other cloud platforms, while competitors have often focused on extending familiar security methods based on on-premises software.

“CloudLock brings a unique cloud-native, platform and API-based approach to cloud security which allows them to build powerful security solutions that are easy to deploy and simple to manage,”said Rob Salvagno, vice president of Cisco’s corporate development unit, in a statement.

The startup is to become part of Cisco’s Networking and Security business group, part of Cisco’s enterprise security business, which has largely grown by acquiring other companies.

Are you a security pro? Try our quiz!