UBDS Group expands depth with 3B Data Security buy

UBDS Group has acquired cyber security specialist 3B Data Security in a move to deepen its capabilities across the UK market.

The technology services incubator made the deal, for an undisclosed sum, at a time when security continues to be a major source of revenue for the channel.

Research from SaaS player EasyDMARC revealed on 7 November that 63% of MSPs had seen growth in their security business over the past year and the market conditions were there to keep that momentum going into 2025.

The emergence of more AI and automation tools is expected to fuel increased user spending at a time when they are already investing to deal with established issues such as ransomware.

UBDS Group will let Cambridge-based 3B Data Security retain its autonomy and brand identity, with the firm’s 23 staff, including senior management, staying on board.

3B Data Security provides a range of security services, including digital forensic incident response, training, consulting and penetration testing. The firm has some decent credentials with National Cyber Security Centre CIR Level 2 Incident Response Provider certification and recognition from the PCI Security Standards Council as a PCI Forensic Investigator & Qualified Security Assessor.

As part of the UBDS Group of companies 3B Data Security will be part of an operation with 150 staff and a solutions provider in the form of  UBDS Digital and AWS specialist Rayo. 

 Diptesh Patel, CEO of UBDS Group, said that the philosophy of the business was to identify businesses where it could make a difference through acquisition.

“We aim to work with like-minded people who share our vision and ambition. We recognise these attributes in the team at 3B Data Security, and we want to support them with our Group capabilities while enhancing our cyber offering to better serve clients across our wider business,” he said.

In response, Benn Morris, CEO of 3B Data Security, said that the firm would be able to add more wight to its proposition with the tie-up, gaining access to UBDS Group’s security portfolio.

“We share a similar mindset and we both recognise the growth potential for our businesses while understanding that this partnership is primarily about enabling our teams to grow and develop, all while actively preventing security breaches and protecting our clients,” he said.

UBDS Group has been expanding its security capabilities over the past 18 months, recently expanding its Manchester-based security operations centre (SOC), which offers managed detection and response and threat intelligence services, among others. The 3B Data Security expertise will also be added into the mix.

“We already have robust cyber capabilities and want to accelerate our growth in this area,” said Alex Gore, UBDS Group chief strategy officer. “The threat landscape is continuously evolving, and with this investment and our ongoing initiatives, we now have the rocket fuel we need to expand our reach in sales, bids, and go to market. We have a full breadth of cyber security services that very few companies of our size can match.”