John Paitaridis (CyberCX)
CyberCX has added Adelaide-founded application whitelisting vendor Airlock Digital to its investment network as the latter embarks on global expansion.
Founded in 2014, Airlock offers an ‘out of the box’ whitelisting platform, a cyber security preventative measure that allows users to take actions on their device that an administrator has allowed in advance.
According to CyberCX, the unspecified investment is intended to enable Airlock to pursue growth in overseas markets such as the US and Europe, with it already having a customer base in the latter region.
This investment will also assist Airlock in growing its network of channel partners, in particular managed service providers (MSPs) who can use Airlock’s enhanced solution.
“This investment will fuel unprecedented growth for us and accelerate market adoption of our proven platform, further empowering us to deliver forward thinking endpoint protection for customers around the world,” said David Cottingham, Airlock’s co-founder and CEO as of December last year.
“We’re excited to partner with a market leader like CyberCX that has deep expertise and experience in solving cyber security challenges with a broad range of customers, across the Australia and New Zealand region and beyond.”
“With CyberCX providing further access and insights into the market, we will be able to deliver on Airlock’s ambitious growth plan even faster,” he added.
CyberCX refused to reveal the amount invested but said Airlock will not become a CyberCX portfolio company and will retain full operational autonomy.
John Paitaridis said CyberCX “strongly backs” Airlock’s growth strategy and is committed to helping accelerate their expansion into international markets.
“As the region’s leading cyber security services firm, CyberCX is committed to supporting Australian cyber security technology companies through strategic partnerships and investment,” he said.
“We want to support cyber security innovators with truly exceptional platforms like Airlock, become global cyber technology leaders and take on the world.”
In December 2019, Airlock unveiled a partnership, alongside cyber security software specialist emt Distribution, with Indigenous IT security solutions provider Baidam Solutions.
The partnership was part of Airlock Digital’s 2020 strategy, driven primarily by the Australian Signals Directorate’s (ASD) Essential Eight cyber mitigation strategies – of which application whitelisting is listed first.
CyberCX has had a short active history with acquisitions since its formation and public launch in October 2019.
Backed by private equity firm BGH Capital, for which Paitaridis holds the role of technology portfolio chief executive, CyberCX was initially formed via the rolling together of twelve independent cyber security brands: Alcorn, Assurance, Asterisk, CQR, Diamond, Enosys, Klein&Co., Phriendly Phishing, Sense of Security, Shearwater, TSS and YellIT.
The most recent deal comes hot on the heels of CyberCX’s dual acquisition of specialist companies Tracer Cloud and Consegna Cloud.
Last year, year it also acquired cloud and managed services provider Xello Australia, which counts Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud and Okta among its vendor partners.
