HelpSystems (now Fortra) Acquires Digital Defense to Enhance Cybersecurity Portfolio

Posted on February 3, 2021 | Infrastructure and Data Protection

MINNEAPOLIS (FEBRUARY 3, 2021)—Fortra announced today the acquisition of Digital Defense, a leader in vulnerability management and threat assessment solutions. Digital Defense’s cloud-native vulnerability scanning engine gives organizations in healthcare, legal, financial services, and other industries the ability to proactively detect infrastructure security gaps and take effective remediation steps to safeguard against internal and external cyberthreats. As part of Fortra's cybersecurity portfolio, Digital Defense joins Core Security and Cobalt Strike to establish a comprehensive, best-in-class security assessment toolkit. 

“Every day we have customers who want to know what they can do to strengthen their security postures and protect their employees, customers, and sensitive information from malicious actors,” said Kate Bolseth, CEO, Fortra. “The addition of Digital Defense offers threat-weary IT teams the capabilities they need to increase infrastructure security on two fronts: via leading-edge vulnerability management technology as well as seasoned pen testing resources to broaden our existing expertise. We are so happy to welcome the team and the award-winning products they’ve developed to Fortra.”

The Digital Defense platforms encompass enterprise security needs across penetration testing, employee training, cybersecurity defense, enterprise risk assessment, and physical security testing. The vulnerability scanning engine is noteworthy for its ability to enable pen-testers to focus their efforts on identified issues rather than blindly testing the network. For companies that lack the internal bandwidth or expertise necessary to carry out this critical function, Digital Defense’s team of US-based pen testers is a trusted resource to conduct the tests. 

“Digital Defense will continue to protect the ever-expanding IT underpinnings of thousands of organizations as part of Fortra,” said Larry Hurtado, President and CEO, Digital Defense. “This powerful combination not only enables our customers to take advantage of Fortra's broad security and automation solutions, but it also gives us more horsepower to continue to advance how organizations around the world understand and address information security.”   

KPMG Corporate Finance LLC (“KPMG CF”) acted as exclusive investment banking advisor to Digital Defense, and Norton Rose Fulbright was the exclusive legal advisor to Digital Defense. 

About Fortra
Fortra is a software company focused on helping exceptional organizations Build a Better IT™. Our cybersecurity and automation software simplifies critical IT processes to give our customers peace of mind. We know IT transformation is a journey, not a destination. Let’s move forward. Learn more at www.fortra.com. 

About Digital Defense, Inc.
Digital Defense’s innovative and leading-edge technology helps organizations across numerous industries safeguard sensitive data and eases the burdens associated with information security. The company’s suite of products is highly regarded by industry experts and has received numerous industry accolades. Learn more at www.digitaldefense.com here.

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