Tech Desk 
Jul 15, 2024
The cybersecurity landscape is about to witness one of the biggest changes in its history, as the world’s biggest tech giant, Google is in talks to acquire Wiz, a cloud cybersecurity start-up, for a whopping $23 billion.
It is going to be one of the largest deals in Google’s history, surpassing its previous record of $12.5 billion paid for Motorola Mobility in 2012.
However, seen as a strategic move aimed at enhancing Google Cloud's security capabilities to reinforce its position in the market for cloud computing.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the acquisition effort has been led by Google Cloud boss Thomas Kurian. Wiz is a New York City-based start-up that has been working on new cloud security solutions that enable enterprises to identify and eliminate critical risks.
Moreover, it creates normalising layer between cloud environments that enables enterprises to secure cloud infrastructure.
Read more: Google makes 'Advanced Protection program' more accessible
Additionally, with Wiz coming on board, Google Cloud will have distinct advantage over rivals, especially Microsoft, which has been at the receiving end of some high-profile security breaches recently.
This would also go a long way toward showing its commitment to a secure cloud platform for its customers. It's not the first time that Google is going to made such a huge investment in cloud security; in 2022, it bought up a cloud security start-up for half a billion and later acquired Mandiant for $5.4 billion, an organisation that discovered the SolarWinds hack.
The acquisition could get the attention of regulators in the US, who have been especially aggressive in enforcing antitrust laws under the Biden administration.
This includes the lawsuit by the Department of Justice against Google's search deal with Apple, as well as the Federal Trade Commission's effort to block Microsoft from acquiring Activision.
