ZeroFox Acquires Vigilante: Expanding Dark Web Intelligence

ZeroFox Acquires Dark Web Intelligence Firm Vigilante

ZeroFox, a cybersecurity company specializing in risk detection across social media and digital platforms, has announced the acquisition of Vigilante, a provider of dark web threat intelligence.

Expanding Dark Web Monitoring Capabilities

Vigilante, distinct from the unrelated crime reporting application, focuses on gathering intelligence from the dark web to safeguard organizations against potential cyberattacks. This acquisition will integrate Vigilante’s team of global operatives and analysts into ZeroFox, aiming to establish a leading dark web intelligence solution.

The combined offering will leverage the datasets of both companies. It will deliver crucial risk intelligence concerning compromised credentials and botnets, as well as network intelligence on vulnerable and infected systems.

Comprehensive Threat Intelligence

Furthermore, the integrated solution will provide insights into threat actors and indicators of compromise (IOCs). ZeroFox’s AI processing will enhance the product with features like botnet exposure monitoring, proactive threat detection, and specialized investigations for incident response and asset recovery.

“By uniting our unique datasets and expert team with ZeroFox’s resources and AI, we are creating a powerful dark web intelligence service,” stated Mike Kirschner, co-founder of Vigilante.

Rising Cybercrime Fuels Acquisition

This acquisition arrives during a period of significant growth in dark web criminal activity. Recent research indicates a substantial increase in cybercrime, particularly due to factors related to the pandemic.

Risk Based Security reported that the number of compromised records exceeded 37 billion in 2020, representing a 141% increase from 2019. Ransomware attacks also saw a 100% surge during the same period.

The Importance of Dark Web Intelligence

“Modern threat intelligence programs require a thorough understanding of the dark web and criminal underground,” explained James C. Foster, CEO of ZeroFox. “Our clients need visibility into the illicit economy, potential bot-driven attacks, and the trading of sensitive data like credentials, financial information, and personally identifiable information (PII).”

Foster emphasized that acquiring Vigilante will significantly enhance ZeroFox’s ability to gather dark web intelligence, ultimately strengthening customer data protection.

Recent Funding and Growth

In February of the previous year, ZeroFox secured $74 million in Series D funding, led by Intel Capital. These funds were earmarked for accelerating global expansion and advancing the company’s product roadmap. Prior to this, a $40 million Series C round was completed in 2017, led by Redline Capital Management and Silver Lake Waterman.