Dive Brief:
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Microsoft reportedly acquired Israeli cybersecurity startup Hexadite, according to CNBC and Hebrew language website Calcalist.
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Hexadite focuses on investigating cyberattacks using machine learning. It also works to decrease damage from a cyberattack, and can be integrated into existing firewalls, according to CNBC.
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Microsoft has acquired a number of Israeli software companies over the last few years. Several of those companies focus on cybersecurity.
Dive Insight:
For Microsoft, Hexadite would be the latest in a growing list of Israeli cybersecurity acquisitions. Microsoft purchased Adallom, an Israel-based, cloud-delivered, Security as a Service solution, in 2015.
Israel is one of the hottest areas for new cybersecurity startups, and Microsoft is not the only company interested in Israeli-based approaches to cybersecurity.
U.S. tech companies have shown growing interest in Israeli-based cybersecurity companies over the past few years. IBM bought EZSource, an Israeli company that helps make the process of modernizing mainframe applications easier, in 2016, and Cisco bought Leaba Semiconductor, an Israeli chip fabrication company, for $320 million in cash in March 2016.
