Proofpoint Expands AI Security Offerings With Acuvity Acquisition

The cybersecurity vendor says the acquisition will bolster its capabilities around governance and control for AI agents.

Proofpoint announced Thursday that it has acquired a startup focused on AI security and governance, Acuvity.

The cybersecurity vendor did not disclose terms of the acquisition deal.

[Related: Proofpoint CEO On Closing ‘Watershed’ $1.8B Hornetsecurity Deal, IPO Plans]

Proofpoint said the Acuvity acquisition will bolster its capabilities around delivering visibility and governance for AI agents, as well as providing security controls around agentic technologies.

Acuvity offers advancements in detection models and control points for agents that are “purpose-built” for the current era of AI, Proofpoint said in a news release. The Acuvity platform provides full visibility for agents across endpoints, web browsers and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, as well as enforcement, the company said.

The startup’s technology can also deliver visibility and enforcement for AI tools that are locally installed, such as OpenClaw, Proofpoint said.

Proofpoint said the acquisition will allow it to offer the industry’s first platform capable of “comprehensively” protecting all segments of the “agentic workspace.”

The acquisition follows the completion of Proofpoint’s $1.8 billion acquisition of Microsoft 365 security specialist Hornetsecurity in December, marking the largest acquisition in the vendor’s 23-year history.

Speaking with CRN, Proofpoint CEO Sumit Dhawan called the Hornetsecurity acquisition a “watershed moment” that sets the stage for massive new MSP opportunities with Proofpoint in the U.S.

About Author

AndyC

Andy Curtis is an award-winning security consultant, researcher and public speaker. He has been working in the computer security industry since the early 1990s, having been employed by state and federal government, leading healthcare and banking providers across three continents. He has given talks about computer security for some of the world’s largest companies, worked with law enforcement agencies on investigations into hacking groups, and is a regular voice on TV and radio explaining IT security threats.

See author's posts