Proofpoint To Acquire Email Security Company Tessian | CRN

October 30, 2023, 12:05 PM EDT

The AI-driven email security platform from Tessian is now set to become part of Proofpoint’s email data loss prevention offering.

Proofpoint has reached an agreement to acquire email security company Tessian, the company said Monday.

Tessian’s AI-driven email security platform is now set to become part of Proofpoint’s email data loss prevention (DLP) offering.

[Related: Cybersecurity Startup Acquisitions In 2023: Key Deals In Q3]

Terms of the deal, which is expected to close as soon as later this year or in early 2024, were not disclosed. Tessian was founded in 2013 and had raised at least $133 million in funding to date, achieving a valuation of $500 million as part of its Series C round in 2021.

Proofpoint, which is among the largest providers of email security tools, said that the planned acquisition of Tessian will help to protect against threats from malicious insiders as well as accidental data loss.

The addition of Tessian’s products—Guardian, Enforcer and Defender—will bring in “powerful layers of AI-powered defense that address risky user behaviors,” Proofpoint said in a news release.

Instead of relying on a set of rules to dictate email security, Tessian taps into AI/ML to evaluate user behavior and adapt its security measures based on changes in behavior, the company has said.

In other words, Tessian’s technology can automatically “establish new meanings of what normal looks like,” Tessian CISO Josh Yavor said previously. That can prove critical for organizations that are looking to secure employee activities in remote and hybrid work situations, Yavor said.

The planned acquisition comes as Proofpoint is navigating a CEO transition. The company disclosed last week that Ashan Willy, who’d been Proofpoint’s CEO since March 2022, is stepping down. Willy plans to “pursue an opportunity outside of the cybersecurity space,” Proofpoint said.

Proofpoint CFO Rémi Thomas has been named interim CEO of the company.

Kyle Alspach

Kyle Alspach is a Senior Editor at CRN focused on cybersecurity. His coverage spans news, analysis and deep dives on the cybersecurity industry, with a focus on fast-growing segments such as cloud security, application security and identity security.  He can be reached at kalspach@thechannelcompany.com.