Microsoft buys cybersecurity startup Hexadite

Microsoft is rumored to have acquired Israeli cybersecurity startup Hexadite in a deal worth around $100 million.

The startup was founded in 2014 and its primary focus is identifying cyberattacks through the use of artificial intelligence (AI). By connecting a number of cybersecurity detection systems that are already in place, Hexadite then uses AI to analyze threats automatically as they present themselves.

The company accepts alerts from a variety of sources including Syslog, email and APIs and this information allows it to aid cybersecurity teams manage and prioritize multiple potential threats.

Last year, Hexadite was able to raise $8 million in its series A round of funding which was added to the $2 million in seed funding it already has.  Investors in the startup include Hewlett Packard Ventures, Ten Eleven Ventures and YL Ventures.

The acquisition has not yet been officially confirmed by either Microsoft or Hexadite, however Israeli news site Calcalist, which broke news of the deal, has often been right before regarding similar deals.

This deal would not be out of place for Microsoft as the company has recently acquired or invested in several cybersecurity companies based in Israel. In 2015, Microsoft bought the cybersecurity firm Secure Islands and in January the company invested in another Israeli cybersecurity firm called Team8. It was also reported that the company was preparing a bid last month to acquire the Israeli startup Cloudyn that specializes in cloud monitoring for around $60 million.

Microsoft has really doubled down on cloud since Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014 and that trend is likely to continue as more businesses migrate their operations to the cloud.

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