IBM acquires attack surface management start-up Randori

IBM acquires security startup Randori. It makes attack surface management software that companies can use to continuously map out the weak spots in their security. With the acquisition, IBM wants to strengthen its X-Force team with red-team security.

IBM takes over the company for an unknown amount. According to TechCrunch Randori would be worth between $50 and $100 million. Two years ago, the company raised $20 million in an investment round. Randori is a startup founded by ethical hackers. The company makes software that companies can use to map their attack surface. These are all points in an organization where an attacker can enter. According to IBM, managing and inventorying such attack surfaces is becoming increasingly important as companies increasingly move to cloud working and use IoT devices more and more. This increases the number of applications that attackers can access.

According to IBM, 69 percent of all companies have been attacked in this way in the past year. IBM says it wants to merge Randori and Security QRadar software. Users of QRadar XDR can then use data collected via Randori to better map out where their risks lie. In addition, Randori has a software package that performs continuous automated red teaming or CART, or testing security in incident response teams within an organization. The people who work there will be part of IBM’s X-Force security team. It now handles incident response for customers. IBM’s Managed Security Services program will also make use of Randori’s data.