Sophos Acquires Refactr: Expanding Cloud Native Security Capabilities

Sophos Acquires DevSecOps Startup Refactr

Sophos, a company owned by Thoma Bravo, has recently announced its second acquisition within the past two weeks. The target of this acquisition is Refactr, a DevSecOps startup located in Seattle.

Refactr's Platform and Mission

Founded in 2017, Refactr provides an automation platform designed to facilitate collaboration between cybersecurity and DevOps teams. The platform is currently utilized by organizations such as the Center for Internet Security and the U.S. Air Force’s Platform One.

Refactr’s core functionality centers around a low-code pipeline builder with a drag-and-drop interface. This encourages a unified, agile workflow for teams that traditionally operate independently.

According to Michael Fraser, CEO and co-founder of Refactr, their primary goal is to establish DevSecOps as the standard for automation. They envision cybersecurity functions – including SOAR, XDR, compliance, cloud security, and IAM – serving as fundamental components of DevSecOps solutions.

Details of the Acquisition

The financial terms of the deal have not been publicly revealed. However, it is confirmed that Refactr’s entire team of developers and engineers will be joining Sophos.

While Sophos intends to continue supporting and developing Refactr’s DevSecOps automation platform for its current user base, the company also plans to integrate Refactr’s SOAR capabilities into its own MTR and XDR offerings.

Sophos' Strategic Expansion

“With Refactr, Sophos will fast track the integration of such advanced SOAR capabilities into our adaptive cybersecurity ecosystem, the basis for our XDR product and MTR service,” explained Joe Levy, chief technology officer at Sophos.

This acquisition follows closely on the heels of Sophos’ announcement regarding the planned purchase of Braintrace, a cybersecurity company specializing in the detection of anomalous network activity.

Since Thoma Bravo’s $3.9 billion acquisition of Sophos in 2020, the company has been actively expanding its presence in the cybersecurity market. Thoma Bravo has also acquired Proofpoint for $12.3 billion and spearheaded a $225 million funding round for Illumio, a zero-trust security provider.

These strategic moves demonstrate a clear commitment to strengthening Sophos’ position as a leading cybersecurity solutions provider.