You can’t protect what you can’t see. And for many organizations worldwide, third-party SaaS applications represent a blind spot for their existing security tools. Organizations need their protection to extend into this often invisible threat vector, which is why today we announced we have signed a definitive agreement to acquire FireLayers, an innovator in cloud security.
Cybercriminals know if they send malicious files or infected links through SaaS applications (file-sharing services, customer service ticketing, hiring services, collaboration tools, etc.) to a company that doesn’t have SaaS application security, they have effectively bypassed protection measures. With this acquisition, we will be able to extend Targeted Attack Protection (TAP) to SaaS applications and help our customers effectively protect their SaaS users from advanced malware. In addition, FireLayers technology will enhance our global Proofpoint Nexus security and compliance platform with the intelligence we extract from SaaS threats.
Security infrastructure needs to be built around how people work today—and today’s news helps us safeguard organizations across SaaS applications. In general, employees are often remote and use a combination of email, social media, mobile apps, and SaaS applications to complete their work. An effective security infrastructure needs to take these varying communication channels into consideration or it will be outpaced by cybercriminals who are constantly evolving their techniques.
With FireLayers, Proofpoint TAP customers will be able to protect themselves from targeted attacks that attempt to break-in through:
- Malware in files shared via file sharing platforms (such as Microsoft Office 365, DropBox), and within customer service tickets through applications including Salesforce or ServiceNow
- Malicious links embedded in resumes uploaded to human capital management applications such as Oracle Taleo and Workday
- Malware posted to collaboration tools, such as Box and Slack, cloaked in the identity of a trusted partner
We have built our security solutions to be easily deployed as cloud services, to evolve rapidly as threats change, and to provide clear visibility into the most urgent threats to ensure rapid response. Our commitment to protecting the way people work today is clear—and our effectiveness is proven. More than fifty percent of Fortune 100 companies rely on Proofpoint’s cloud-based cybersecurity solutions to protect them over email, social media, and when they access mobile applications. We safeguard organizations from advanced attacks, no matter where they are and how they are communicating. And now that protection will extend to SaaS applications.
For more information, please see today’s press release.