UK-based cybersecurity firm Egress to be acquired by US giant KnowBe4

US-based security awareness training company KnowBe4 has agreed a deal to buy UK firm Egress (Dominic Lipinski/PA)

UK-based email security firm Egress has been acquired by US cybersecurity giant KnowBe4, it has been announced.

The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed, but KnowBe4 said the addition of Egress’s email security tools to its own suite of products will create an advanced artificial intelligence-powered cybersecurity platform.

London-based Egress is known for its AI-powered email security tools, which are able to learn and monitor sophisticated email cybersecurity threats, and protect organisations and their staff from email-based attempts to breach their systems.

KnowBe4 is best known for its security awareness training, which includes its AI-powered platform to simulate phishing attempts and test staff members’ ability to spot suspicious emails, with the aim of improving education and changing user behaviour.

KnowBe4 chief executive Stu Sjouwerman said combining these programmes into one platform will help businesses better prepare themselves and their employees to face ever-changing cybersecurity threats.

“The future of security is personalised AI-driven controls and real-time coaching. By providing a single platform from KnowBe4 and Egress, our customers will benefit from differentiated aggregate threat detection to stay ahead of evolving cyber threats and foster a strong security culture,” he said.

“As integration partners for over a year, with strong philosophical and cultural alignment, this acquisition is a natural progression for both companies to take human risk management and cloud email security to the next level.”

Egress chief executive Tony Pepper said: “KnowBe4 and Egress have a shared vision of delivering tailored and relevant security to each employee.

“One of the biggest challenges organisations face is accurately identifying who the next source of compromise is – and why.

“By combining intelligence and analytics from integrated applications, companies can gain valuable insights across their entire cyber ecosystem, allowing them to focus on the risks that matter most.”

The two companies said the deal is expected to close in the coming months, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.