Global cybersecurity giant Sophos has finalised the acquisition of SecureWorks in an all-cash deal worth about $859 million.

Per the agreement, supported by software investment firm Thoma Bravo, Secureworks, a significant cybersecurity player, will join Sophos to strengthen its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services.

The addition of Secureworks’ experience will improve Sophos’ security operations platform, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.

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Secureworks’ offerings

The platform provides hundreds of integrations to reduce cyber threats through adaptive protection, detection, and response.

The agreement stipulates that Secureworks’ stockholders, including Dell Technologies, will get $8.50 in cash per share, which is a 28 percent premium over the 90-day volume-weighted average price that is undisturbed.

The market is accepting MDR as a definite way to get favourable cybersecurity results, according to Sophos CEO Joe Levy, which is driving the category’s explosive rise.

He said that Sophos stands out because of its advanced skills in malware analysis, threat actor tradecraft, and ransomware detection.

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Incorporation of AI into Sophos’ defences 

The company’s internationally renowned AI team developed Sophos’ native AI almost ten years ago, which further strengthens these defences.

To more successfully neutralise and halt threats, Sophos has integrated AI into its MDR, endpoint, network, email, and cloud protection, according to the CEO.

“With the integration of Secureworks, our expanded services and product portfolio will provide even stronger end-to-end security solutions, including identity threat detection and response, next-gen SIEM, and managed risk—all in a single open platform,” Levy said.

“We will also be able to advance our AI, threat intelligence, and attack research through more diverse and deeper global telemetry, which is analyst-tuned for the real world. At every level, we are excited about this next accelerated chapter for Sophos,” he added.