McAfee to acquire Light Point Security

McAfee, the device-to-cloud cybersecurity company, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Light Point Security, LLC, an award-winning pioneer of browser isolation. Upon the close of the acquisition, the Light Point Security team will join McAfee. 

The increasing use of the Internet, and the accelerating adoption of the cloud by companies, has made the browser one of the most vulnerable parts of an enterprise’s IT attack surface. When full isolation is implemented, no web content ever gets to the user’s computer. All browsing is done in an isolated environment so no browser-based malware can infect the system. Gartner has identified remote browser isolation as a recommended capability of SASE components. According to Gartner, “remote browsing is becoming a recognised method to keep the browsing away from the endpoint and to enforce policies on the interactions.” Gartner recommends organisations consider remote processing in any risk-averse environment.

Founded by former NSA employees, Light Point Security’s solution can protect users from zero-day and other emerging malware like Ransomware and credential phishing attacks by isolating browser sessions in a remote virtual environment outside of the corporate network. Light Point Security utilises proprietary technology to deliver highly performant, complete isolation, preventing elements of a page from reaching or being able to attack a client browser.

McAfee plans to integrate Light Point Security’s browser isolation technology into McAfee Secure Web Gateway, complementing its existing comprehensive inbound and outbound protection for all web and cloud traffic. With this combination, enterprises will be able to prioritise both security efficacy and user experience by removing user exposure to malware while maintaining responsive access to legitimate websites and cloud applications. Additionally, McAfee plans to integrate browser isolation into the newly released MVISION UCE solution, which includes McAfee Secure Web Gateway, McAfee Data Loss Prevention and MVISION Cloud (CASB), thus enabling a complete and simplified implementation of the SASE Architecture. This will allow customers to apply a consistent threat protection policy across their network and SaaS applications, such as Office365 and other collaboration applications. 

“Web browsing is one of the most common threat vectors for endpoints to get infected. Adding Light Point Security’s capabilities into our products will create solutions that enable our customers to mitigate web-based threats without impacting user experience,” said Ash Kulkarni, EVP and Chief Product Officer, Enterprise Business Group, McAfee. “We are constantly working to find ways to help our customers safely adopt the cloud so they enjoy increased productivity without experiencing heightened concerns about cyber-attacks. Light Point Security’s browser isolation capabilities will bolster the McAfee Unified Cloud Edge offering to make it a preferred solution for security-focused businesses without compromising on productivity.”

“Light Point Security’s technology enables users to browse any website safely, securely and without limitations, without having to keep up with website changes. This stops attacks launched against a web browser before they can even enter the network without hampering user experience,” said Zuly Gonzalez, co-founder and CEO of Light Point Security. “We’ve been recognised for revolutionising the way that organisations think about security; now we will be joining a leading standalone cybersecurity player to be part of the next revolution. Together, we’ll advance McAfee’s mission to protect the world from cyber threats while supporting customers as they accelerate their own businesses by removing limitations.”

McAfee’s agreement to acquire Light Point Security demonstrates how McAfee continues to strengthen its solutions through innovation and acquisition to provide its customers with state-of-the-art solutions to prevent and detect threats without limiting performance.