Security vendor Proofpoint snapped up by private equity for $12.3bn but still in search of profit

Proofpoint has become the latest sizable tech vendor to succumb to private equity after Thoma Bravo succeeded in its $12.3bn grasp for the infosec giant. Shareholders are set to get $176 per share in cash, 34 per cent more than Proofpoint's closing share price on 23 April, according to bid details. CEO Gary Steele said now …

[Anonymous Coward]

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"Having gone public in 2012, CEO Gary Steele said now was the time for Proofpoint to return to private ownership. The move would allow the firm to be "even more agile with greater flexibility to continue investing in innovation, building on our leadership position and staying ahead of threat actors."

Load of bollocks. I think he mean't to say "time to cash in my chips and fuck the company. I'm sorted".

As for staying ahead of threat actors? Unless you can travel into the future and back again, how can you stay ahead of said actors if you don't know about their threats until they use them?

[sitta_europea]

[quote]

In 2018, it had its credentials dented somewhat when Mimecast research pointed out that its servers – along with Microsoft's – missed malware attachments, impersonation, and malicious links in 15,656 emails from a sample of 142 million.

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Strange way to put it.

I can think of quite a few anti-virus vendors who would be more than happy to be able to claim a ninety-nine-point-nine-nine percent success rate.