Microsoft could be planning a rather pricey cybersecurity upgrade

Microsoft could be set for a significant expansion of its cybersecurity activity as rumors swirl of a possible big-name acquisition coming soon.

The technology giant is reportedly considering a bid for Mandiant, a security firm that specializes in incident response and cyber threat intelligence, as well as malware and endpoint protection.

Mandiant was acquired by FireEye in 2014, but last year returned to being independent after the sale of the FireEye product business to McAfee Enterprise.

Microsoft and Mandiant

Shares in Mandiant surged almost 18% as reports of a takeover began to circulate, taking the company's market capitalization to around $4.3 billion. The company had just reported its Q4 2021 results, revealing record billings and revenue for threat intelligence and consulting.

There's been no official confirmation of any concrete takeover talks from Microsoft or Mandiant yet, but a deal would allow Microsoft to further bolster its cybersecurity ranks, particularly as the company's customer base continues to grow around the world.

In 2021 alone, Microsoft acquired a host of security firms, including RiskIQ, CloudKnox Security and ReFirm. The company also recently proved it had the money to invest in new acquisitions by announcing the $70 billion takeover of gaming giant Activision Blizzard.

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> Microsoft's security systems on Windows 10 are getting a tidy little upgrade

> Microsoft has uncovered loads of Windows 11 security threats – here’s what you need to do

> Windows 11 users could be set for a significant security upgrade

The sheer scale of threats facing consumers and businesses today means that Microsoft has long been a backer of constantly improving and boosting its own security tools.

The company recently revealed a preview version of its own in-house security offering, Windows Defender, which should provide the next level of protection to users already on, or shifting to, Windows 11.

In addition to providing a basic security overview, Microsoft Defender Preview gives details of security alerts that have appeared on different devices. Perhaps the most valuable feature of the app is that it makes it possible to easily check the security of a device without the need, necessarily, to have physical access to it.

• If you still haven't updated, here are the best Windows 10 antivirus apps

Via Bloomberg

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