Varonis buys AI email security firm SlashNext
Varonis has acquired SlashNext, an AI-driven email security company, for up to $150 million in a move that reflects the rising role of artificial intelligence in both attack and defense.
The acquisition, announced Tuesday, brings together Varonis’ focus on data-centric security and threat detection with SlashNext’s technology for blocking phishing and social engineering attacks across email and collaboration platforms. The companies cited a rapidly evolving threat environment, as cybercriminals increasingly use AI to target victims on channels reaching beyond traditional email, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, WhatsApp, and Zoom.
Founded by Atif Mushtaq, who worked on FireEye’s malware detection systems, SlashNext deploys predictive AI models to identify, remove and block socially engineered threats. Its technology leverages computer vision, natural language processing, and virtual browsers to pinpoint signs of compromise.
Independent testing has placed SlashNext’s detection rates near the top of the industry. The Tolly Group, which evaluates cybersecurity tools, found SlashNext delivering 99% overall detection accuracy and a 100% detection rate for business email compromise (BEC) and QR code attacks.
Varonis has focused on real-time data threat detection since 2013. Its security portfolio has since expanded to include user and entity behavior analytics, incident response, and managed data detection and response (MDDR) services with a 30-minute service-level agreement for ransomware cases. The company claims to have prevented an average of five cyberattacks daily for its customers.
CEO Yaki Faitelson, who co-founded Varonis, described the acquisition as “a natural evolution” of the company’s platform. “By connecting the dots between email, identity, and data, we will dramatically increase the value of our MDDR service and help customers stop threats in their inbox, where many data breaches begin,” he said in a press release.
The SlashNext acquisition is the second one for Varonis this year. In March, it acquired Cyral, a company that specialized in database activity monitoring.
