Varonis acquires Cyral to boost AI-driven data security

Varonis Systems has announced its acquisition of Cyral, a Silicon Valley-based provider of database activity monitoring (DAM) solutions.

Cyral's cloud-native, agentless technology offers a new approach to database security by overcoming limitations associated with traditional legacy systems. The acquisition enables Varonis to expand its capabilities and deliver improved security solutions for structured and unstructured data.

"By combining Cyral's cloud-native DAM with Varonis' robust and growing database security capabilities, customers can begin to upgrade their costly legacy solutions, shattering the silos that have traditionally separated structured and unstructured data security," said Varonis CEO, President, and Co-founder Yaki Faitelson.

"With this acquisition, we are addressing the most difficult database security challenges, and equipping our customers with a modern, end-to-end platform," he added.

Demand for advanced database security

The acquisition comes at a time when database management is rapidly evolving. The database market is expected to grow significantly, reaching $225 billion by 2028. Emerging data technologies such as Databricks and Snowflake have enabled vast database scalability and access, creating new security challenges.

Vector databases, which are essential for AI model training and processing, are presenting additional complexity for security teams as they manage significant data volumes across multiple environments.

Organisations often struggle to protect data stored in managed, unmanaged, and on-premises databases, which may contain sensitive information such as personally identifiable information (PII), intellectual property, and AI training data. Varonis aims to meet this growing demand by integrating Cyral's capabilities into its existing platform.

Unified security platform

Varonis has positioned itself as a leader in data protection by developing a unified security platform capable of safeguarding data across various environments. The company's solutions address security risks both when data is at rest and in motion.

"The days of fragmented data security products are ending," said Faitelson. "Varonis protects data wherever it lives, at rest or in motion, from a single unified platform—enabling organisations to continuously reduce their sensitive data exposure and respond to threats in the age of AI."

Cyral's Co-founder and CEO, Manav Mital, highlighted the alignment between the two companies' goals. "Varonis' acquisition of Cyral brings together a shared vision for securing customers' data end-to-end as AI ushers in a new era of growth and innovation," Mital said.

"The lifeblood of AI is data, and Varonis is leading the charge by driving automated data security outcomes at scale," he added.