IBM confirms acquisition of Polar Security reportedly for $60 million

Software giant IBM has acquired automated cloud data security and compliance provider Polar Security for an undisclosed amount. Reports claimed that the deal was worth around $60 million.

Founded in January 2021, Polar Security is a leader in Data Security Posture Management (DSPM), an emerging cybersecurity segment that reveals where sensitive data is stored, who has access to it, how it is used, and the identification of vulnerabilities.

IBM says it plans to integrate Polar Security’s DSPM technology into its “Guardium” family of leading data security products.

said Dinesh Nirmal, Senior Vice President, Products, IBM Software.

This marks IBM’s fifth acquisition in 2023. Since Arvind Krishna became CEO in April 2020, IBM has acquired more than 30 companies, strengthening its hybrid cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

Polar Security can automatically find unknown and sensitive data across the cloud, including structured and unstructured assets within cloud service providers, SaaS properties, and data lakes.

Once detected, it categorizes the data, mapping the potential and actual flow of that data, and identifies vulnerabilities, such as misconfiguration, excess entitlements, and behavior that violates policy or regulations.

Based on a risk-based prioritization methodology, Polar Security provides remediation reports that identify the most pressing security risks and compliance violations and provide an analysis of the underlying causes and actionable recommendations for remediation, IBM says.

– Jans

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