Check Point Software acquires cybersecurity startup Cyberint

Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. today announced that it is acquiring Cyberint Technologies Ltd., a venture-backed cybersecurity startup.

Financial terms were not disclosed. Tel Aviv-based Cyberint previously raised approximately $68 million in funding from investors. Following its most recent funding in mid-2022, the company has announced that annual recurring revenues had more than doubled from the previous year.

Cyberint sells a cybersecurity platform called Argos that promises to help businesses block a wide range of online threats. Some of the platform’s features are focused on thwarting phishing campaigns. Others are designed to detect vulnerable systems on an organization’s network, as well as data breaches that may have been caused by those systems.

Phishing emails often contain a link to a malicious website that poses as a legitimate company. For example, hackers might create a malicious copy of an organization’s employee login portal and try to trick employees into entering their account details. Cyberint’s Argos platform can detect such phishing websites and send a takedown request to the cloud providers that host them.

One of the ways the company detects phishing campaigns is by placing a so-called beacon on customers’ websites, a short piece of code designed to evade detection by hackers.

When a cybercriminal downloads code from a beacon-equipped website to create a malicious replica, the beacon is copied to the replica along with the rest of the original website’s assets. The beacon detects the change in setting and informs Cyberint.

In addition to phishing websites, Argos also spots dark web leaks of internal corporate data. Furthermore, the platform can find vulnerabilities in an organization’s infrastructure that could potentially lead to such leaks in the future. Cyberint can detect open network ports, internet-facing applications with known vulnerabilities, and cloud storage repositories that are not protected by a login screen.

“Leaked credentials and fake websites designed for malicious purposes are alarmingly common these days, with over 90% of organizations facing these threats,” said Yochai Corem, CEO of Cyberint.

The company offers Argos a portfolio of professional services in addition. According to Cyberint, its employees can provide a company with information about hacking groups that may be trying to hack its systems. The software maker can also run simulated cyberattacks on a company’s network to discover vulnerabilities before cybercriminals do.

Check Point will use Cyberint’s technology to enhance its Infinity cybersecurity suite. The offering provides access to several of the company’s breach prevention products, including multiple tools for protecting cloud environments, through a single subscription. Check Point says the deal will also help enhance its portfolio of managed threat intelligence services.

The acquisition is the first the company has announced since appointed a new CEO last month. Venture capitalist Nadav Zafrir will take over from outgoing CEO Gil Shwed, who co-founded Check Point in 1993. The leadership change will be official in December.

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