**Editor’s Note: Please click here for a recap of the biggest channel-impacting merger and acquisition news from February. **
PRESS RELEASE — DALLAS/PRNewswire/ —  Critical Start  today announced it has completed the acquisition of  Advanced Threat Analytics , a next generation security analytics platform, for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. All the employees of Advanced Threat Analytics have joined Critical Start as part of its managed security services business. With the addition of the Advanced Threat Analytics platform, Critical Start is able to offer its customers a differentiated approach to managed security services resulting in some key benefits:
Zero-Trust Platform – enterprise customers spend a lot for their security infrastructure, but do not get the full benefit of that investment since legacy MSSPs arbitrarily filter or tune alerts to manage the alert overload issue. Critical Start’s zero-trust model investigates all security alerts until they are classified as good or normal and can be safely filtered out. 100% Transparency – enterprise customers send their data to legacy MSSPs and yet have no visibility into their investigation, analysis and escalation process. Critical Start’s platform is completely transparent, so customers can access the same data as Critical Start’s SOC analysts. Industry’s First “Mobile SOC” – the business world is mobile so managed security services should be as well. Critical Start offers the industry’s only mobile SOC application for iPhone and Android devices so enterprise customers can interact with Critical Start’s SOC team without being tethered to their desktop. Rapid Containment – in managed security services, 24×7 detection is not very helpful unless it is paired with 24×7 response. Critical Start’s SOC analysts not only detect attacks, but are also able to immediately respond and contain them by isolating machines, blocking malicious network connections, and quarantining malware. “The acquisition of Advanced Threat Analytics signals to the market that we are committed to disrupting and reinventing today’s managed security services market where providers typically operate using a hidden, ‘black box’ model that still buries enterprise customers in reviewing and responding to an overwhelming number of security alerts,” said Rob Davis, CEO, Critical Start. “In addition, legacy MSSPs are known for poor customer service and effectiveness so our focus is on redefining the managed security services experience for customers to one that is secure, transparent, mobile and adds value to their business.”
In recognition of its growing leadership position in the managed security services space, Critical Start was recently named to the  CRN Tech Elite 250  and  CRN Security MSP 100  industry lists. About Critical Start
Critical Start is the fastest-growing cybersecurity integrator in North America. Our mission is simple: protect your brand and reduce business risk. We help organizations of all sizes determine their security readiness condition using our proven framework, the Defendable Network. Critical Start provides managed security services, incident response, professional services, and product fulfillment. Visit  www.criticalstart.com  for more information.

Critical Start Wraps ATA Buy

Share this article
DALLAS, April 3, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Critical Start today announced it has completed the acquisition of Advanced Threat Analytics , a next generation security analytics platform, for an undisclosed amount of cash and stock. All the employees of Advanced Threat Analytics have joined Critical Start as part of its managed security services business. With the addition of the Advanced Threat Analytics platform, Critical Start is able to offer its customers a differentiated approach to managed security services resulting in some key benefits:
Zero-Trust Platform – enterprise customers spend a lot for their security infrastructure, but do not get the full benefit of that investment since legacy MSSPs arbitrarily filter or tune alerts to manage the alert overload issue. Critical Start's zero-trust model investigates all security alerts until they are classified as good or normal and can be safely filtered out. 100% Transparency – enterprise customers send their data to legacy MSSPs and yet have no visibility into their investigation, analysis and escalation process. Critical Start's platform is completely transparent, so customers can access the same data as Critical Start's SOC analysts. Industry's First "Mobile SOC" – the business world is mobile so managed security services should be as well. Critical Start offers the industry's only mobile SOC application for iPhone and Android devices so enterprise customers can interact with Critical Start's SOC team without being tethered to their desktop. Rapid Containment – in managed security services, 24x7 detection is not very helpful unless it is paired with 24x7 response. Critical Start's SOC analysts not only detect attacks, but are also able to immediately respond and contain them by isolating machines, blocking malicious network connections, and quarantining malware. "The acquisition of Advanced Threat Analytics signals to the market that we are committed to disrupting and reinventing today's managed security services market where providers typically operate using a hidden, 'black box' model that still buries enterprise customers in reviewing and responding to an overwhelming number of security alerts," said Rob Davis, CEO, Critical Start. "In addition, legacy MSSPs are known for poor customer service and effectiveness so our focus is on redefining the managed security services experience for customers to one that is secure, transparent, mobile and adds value to their business." In recognition of its growing leadership position in the managed security services space, Critical Start was recently named to the CRN Tech Elite 250 and CRN Security MSP 100 industry lists. About Critical Start
Critical Start is the fastest-growing cybersecurity integrator in North America. Our mission is simple: protect your brand and reduce business risk. We help organizations of all sizes determine their security readiness condition using our proven framework, the Defendable Network. Critical Start provides managed security services, incident response, professional services, and product fulfillment. Visit www.criticalstart.com for more information. SOURCE Critical Start

Critical Start Closes Acquisition of Advanced Threat Analytics

Share this article
DALLAS, March 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --  Critical Start today announced a definitive agreement to acquire Advanced Threat Analytics , a next generation security analytics platform. Under terms of the agreement, Critical Start will acquire Advanced Threat Analytics for an undisclosed amount in cash and stock. The acquisition is expected to close in the next 30 days. In its most recent Worldwide Semiannual Security Spending Guide , IDC forecasts the market for security-related hardware, software and services will reach nearly $120 billion by 2021 with managed security services representing the largest and fastest growing technology category with a CAGR of 14.3%1. As the largest cybersecurity company based in Texas, Critical Start built its business on security strategy, assessment and implementation services, but expanded into managed security services in 2016 based on customer demand. After investing in a security operations center (SOC), Critical Start partnered with Advanced Threat Analytics to leverage its zero trust security analytics platform after researching existing SIEM services. "We have won major enterprise deals against the largest legacy MSSPs because the combination of our CyberSOC, expert analysts and the ATA platform offer our clients something unique – managed security services delivered in a completely transparent process using a mobile-first, zero trust platform," said Rob Davis, CEO, Critical Start. "We're excited to have the Advanced Threat Analytics employees and technology join Critical Start as they will provide clear and compelling competitive differentiation for us in the rapidly expanding market for MSSP/MDR services." "From day one, our mission has been to create a next generation SOC platform that solves the industry-wide problem of security alert overload. Only when false positives and known good items are removed can quality MSSP / MDR service be delivered to clients," said Alin Srivastava, President, Advanced Threat Analytics. "The combination of Critical Start's CyberSOC team and the Advanced Threat Analytics platform creates an extremely unique way to deliver security services via our cloud-based SOC portal and the MobileSOCTM iOS and Android applications. "  
In addition to offering MSSP/MDR services to its own clients, the combination of Critical Start's CyberSOC team and ATA's technology also provides a white label offering for value added resellers (VARs) and managed service providers (MSPs) that are looking for a differentiated, turnkey solution for offering managed security services to their clients. About Critical Start
Critical Start is the fastest-growing cybersecurity integrator in North America. Our mission is simple: protect your brand and reduce business risk. We help organizations of all sizes determine their security readiness condition using our proven framework, the Defendable Network. Critical Start delivers managed security services, incident response, professional services, and product fulfillment. Visit www.criticalstart.com for more information. About Advanced Threat Analytics
Advanced Threat Analytics enables large enterprises and MSSPs to overcome the alert-overload problem. The company's Alert Classification Platform and MobileSOCTM mobile applications for iOS and Android enable a new type of security event orchestration that frees incident responders from alert overload and enables them to effectively analyze and triage alerts anytime and anywhere. More information is available at  www.advancedthreatanalytics.com . 1 "Worldwide Semiannual Security Spending Guide," Eileen Smith and Sean Pike, October 2017. SOURCE Critical Start

Critical Start to Acquire Advanced Threat Analytics

29 minutes ago
**Editor’s Note: Please click here for a recap of the biggest channel-impacting merger and acquisition news from February. **
Analyst firm IDC predicts that organizations in the security space have a very bright future. The firm forecasts that the security-related hardware, software and services market will reach almost $120 billion in the next three years. Even more promising for the channel, managed security services represent the biggest and fastest-growing category within the tech market, with a CAGR of 14.3 percent. As incidents of malicious attacks and data breaches continue to make big headlines, organizations of all sizes and in all industries are realizing they need to invest in a robust cyberdefense and are clamoring for a one-stop shop to provide them with end-to-end solutions. As more and more components become integral to the security stack, we’re seeing an increasing number of managed service providers (MSP) and managed security service providers (MSSP) engaging in M&A activity in order to quickly expand their portfolios to meet customer demand. For the same reason, many smaller value-added resellers (VARs) and MSPs without the resources to invest in in-house security talent are turning to larger MSSPs for white-label solutions to present to their clients. Case in point: Thursday, MSSP Critical Start announced its intention to acquire security analytics platform provider Advanced Threat Analytics . Critical Start is a near perfect example of the trends outlined above in action. The company was founded in 2011 as a security strategy, assessment and implementation service provider, but expanded into managed-security services in 2016 because of customer demand. The MSSP invested in a security operations center (SOC), then partnered with ATA to integrate its zero-trust security analytics platform into Critical Start’s managed-security offering. Critical Start’s Rob Davis
The deal is expected to close within the next 30 days, and Critical Start said it plans to offer the same solutions to other VARs and MSPs as a white-label solution — in addition to its own customers. The MSSP, therefore, is investing in developing its own channel in the hopes it will add an additional robust revenue stream to complement its thriving enterprise business. “We have won major enterprise deals against the largest legacy MSSPs because the combination of our CyberSOC, expert analysts and the ATA platform offer our clients something unique — managed-security services delivered in a completely transparent process using a mobile-first, zero-trust platform,” said Rob Davis, CEO of Critical Start, in a statement. Security experts, who not long ago were all about attack prevention, now admit that no technology or best practice is capable of defending against every malicious attack. Therefore, the focus of cybersecurity technology is increasingly placing less importance on prevention and instead building out managed detection and response (MDR)
“We’re excited to have the Advanced Threat Analytics employees and technology join Critical Start as they will provide clear and compelling competitive differentiation for us in the rapidly expanding market for MSSP/MDR services,” added Davis. The terms of the deal are undisclosed, and details of the company’s white-label program are still forthcoming.

MSSP Critical Start to Acquire MDR Provider, Create White-Label Channel Offering

1 hour ago
Managed security services providers ( MSSPs ) are wasting time and resources processing useless security alerts, and many often either reduce the sensitivity of security equipment or ignore alerts altogether. That’s according to a new survey by Advanced Threat Analytics  (ATA). The company polled nearly 50 MSSPs to evaluate the state of incident response within their security operations centers (SOCs). Advanced Threat Analytics’ Alin Srivastava
Alin Srivastava, ATA’s president, tells Channel Partners that redundant and benign alerts cause the most problems for MSSPs, The most surprising aspect of the survey was the fact that MSSPs “readily admit to ignoring alerts for a service they are being paid for by customers who are entrusting their security to those MSSPs,” he said. “This research shows that MSSPs are still on the receiving end of an oppressive number of daily security alerts, forcing many analysts and incident responders to spend hours – in some cases, more than five – each day investigating them, many of which turn out to be false-positives,” he said. “Devoting so much time to benign alerts severely compromises security effectiveness, as analysts are distracted from acting on actual threats and incidents.”
Nearly half (44 percent) of respondents report a 50 percent or higher false-positive rate, with 22 percent reporting a 50-75 percent false-positive rate, and 22 percent reporting between 75 and 99 percent. Nearly 45 percent of respondents investigate 10 or more alerts each day, according to the survey. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said, on average, it takes 10 minutes or more to investigate each alert, including 11 percent who said it takes 30 minutes or more. When asked what they do if their SOC has too many alerts for analysts to process, respondents said they: tune specific alerting features or thresholds to reduce alert volume (67 percent); ignore certain categories of alerts (38 percent); turn off high-volume alerting features (27 percent); and hire more analysts (24 percent). “The most effective way for MSSPs to break free from ‘alert tyranny’ is to invest in technology that decreases the number of incidents generated, rather than in traditional SIEM and incident-orchestration solutions, which only reduce the time it takes to investigate each one,” Srivastava said. When respondents were asked what they feel is the main responsibility of their job: Seven in 10 (70 percent) said analyzing and remediating security threats ; 20 percent said limiting the number of alerts sent to clients for review; 5 percent said investigating as many alerts as possible; and the remaining 5 percent said reducing the time it takes to investigate a security alert. “When analysts are no longer bogged down in an unmanageable number of alerts, they can focus on what they were hired to do — mitigate risk by identifying true threats and responding quickly,” Srivastava said. ATA’s Alert Classification Platform and Mobile SOC allows incident responders to analyze and triage alerts anytime and anywhere. Critical Start is an ATA MSSP partner. The (ATA platform) is an “integral” part of its managed detection and response business, said Joshua Maberry, its director of security operations. “The platform enables us to use security tools, such as endpoint detection and response platforms like Carbon Black, without having to set thresholds or arbitrarily reduce alerts to make it manageable,” he said. “ATA enables my team to identify the known good behaviors of a system and remove them from the queue. The team can also go one step deeper by working with our clients to identify their specific known good, such as home-grown applications and/or privileged users who are authorized to use tools that flag as malicious, to further reduce the noise and false-positive events that contribute to alert fatigue and analyst burnout.”

MSSPs Wasting Time on False-Positive Security Alerts

Advanced Threat Analytics

Dell EMC

RSA, The Security Division of EMC

RSA Security

Nokia

Lucent Technologies

United States Navy

These companies protect organizations from digital threats.

Cybersecurity

Acquired

Advanced Threat Analytics provides a zero infrastructure cloud based security service that virtually eliminates malware while enabling effective detection and response to breaches when prevention fails. The company uses a combination of cyber security experts, next generation security tools, and proprietary processes to help organizations measurably improve their security effectiveness without impacting users or adding complexity.

Date	Round	Amount	Investors	Valuation Valuations are submitted by companies, mined from state filings or news, provided by VentureSource, or based on a comparables valuation model.	Revenue	Sources
3/15/2018	Acquired		Critical Start	$XXM	0 FY undefined	3
9/22/2015	Debt	$XXM	Subscribe to see more	$XXM	0 FY undefined	10

Date	3/15/2018	9/22/2015
Round	Acquired	Debt
Amount		$XXM
Investors	Critical Start	Subscribe to see more
Valuation	$XXM	$XXM
Revenue	0 FY undefined	0 FY undefined
Sources	3	10

First funding	3/15/2018
Last Funding	3/15/2018
Investor	Critical Start
Rounds	1 Acquired
Board Seats
Type	Corporation
Location	Texas

How VCs Use CB Insights

Professional Services

Platform Overview

Advanced Threat Analytics

Total Raised

Investors Count

Funding, Valuation & Revenue

Advanced Threat Analytics Investors