Microsoft Corporation is in talks to acquire cybersecurity research and incident response company Mandiant Inc., a deal that would bolster efforts to protect customers from hacks and breaches.
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Mandiant, which has a market capitalization of about $3.6 billion, focuses on cyber-incident response and cybersecurity testing. Adding Mandiant would build up Microsoft’s arsenal of products for protecting clients and responding to cybersecurity threats.
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FireEye Inc. acquired Mandiant in 2013, providing cybersecurity services and notably releasing a series of threat intelligence reports detailing alleged state-sponsored hacking originating in countries such as China and Russia.
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Mandiant became a standalone company again last year when FireEye Inc. sold its eponymous security-product business for $1.2 billion to a consortium led by Symphony Technology Group.
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The ubiquity of Microsoft’s Windows operating system already gives the company data on high profile breaches. This, combined with Mandiant’s consultants, would give the combined companies unparalleled cybersecurity knowledge.
