SonicWall adds more zero trust depth with Banyan buy

Having spent a decade avoiding getting involved with M&A activity, security player SonicWall has made its second move in just a matter of weeks to extend the portfolio.

Back in November, the vendor acquired US-based Solutions Granted to bolster its position through the provision of security operations centre (SOC) services and a range of other options, including managed detection and response (MDR), that it intended to use to support channel partners on both sides of the Atlantic.

The focus of the M&A activity this time is on the zero trust front, with the firm picking up Banyan Security, a security service edge (SSE) solutions player.

SonicWall is viewing the addition of Banyan’s technology to its portfolio as another decision that will benefit its channel base.

The vendor has been following a “best of suite” strategy, making sure it can provide network, endpoint, wireless, cloud email and threat intelligence via a single portal to make sure its partners can react to evolving customer needs.

“Cyber security’s focus is shifting to more dynamic solutions that can adapt to the ever-evolving landscape of threats in the cloud age,” said SonicWall president and CEO Bob Vankirk.

“For years, firewalls have been the cornerstone of cyber security defences,” he said. “However, with the rise of cloud computing and secure access service edge, the industry is shifting its focus to more comprehensive and flexible approaches that include SSE and ZTNA as a necessity. Together, SonicWall and Banyan Security will provide cloud-based secure access service edge solutions that empower partners to deliver a security architecture for any stage of their customers’ evolving cloud journey.”