Google seems to be planning to spend $23 billion to acquire Wiz, a cloud cybersecurity startup with partners that include Amazon and Oracle, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal. It is almost twice to what it spent on Motorola Mobility in 2012, it would be the most Google has ever paid for another company.
The New York City-based Wiz offers “siloed security tools and scanners” for the enterprise space, as per the company. Wize states that it secures corporate cloud infrastructure “by creating a normalizing layer between cloud environments,” allowing businesses to “rapidly identify and remove critical risks.”
Also Read: Google Maps Releases Speedometer And Speed Limit Feature
Why Is Google Planning To Acquire Wiz?
Acquiring such a company feels particularly targeted at an increasingly vulnerable-looking Microsoft that’s recently weathered multiple high-profile security breaches.
Google Cloud’s top man Thomas Kurian has been the driving force behind the acquisition attempt, as per The New York Times. If successful, it could help solidify the company’s reputation as a secure cloud platform. That seems to be the idea behind its half-billion dollar purchase of another cloud security startup in 2022 and the $5.4 billion acquisition of Mandiant, the company that found the SolarWinds hack later that year.
The deal seems to be happening, as per the report, but it could fall through and risk triggering reviews from US regulators. The Biden administration has presided over significant antitrust action, including the Department of Justice’s lawsuit over Google’s Search deal with Apple and the Federal Trade Commission’s failed attempt to stop Microsoft from buying Activision.
Also Read: Amkette Unveils 'EvoFox Deck' Gamepad For Android, iPhones
Google’s Dark Web Monitoring Is Now Available To All Users
In a win-win situation for all, Google has made its Dark Web Monitoring tool available to all Google account holders. Previously, the tool was available only to users who pay for Google One. The move comes after the removal of VPN access as a Google One benefit, leading some to wonder what’s left for people paying for these services.
Google has been pushing hard to bring its powerful AI, dubbed Gemini, to all its products. From search engine results to Gmail’s spam filter and even hinting faster routes on Google Maps, Gemini’s influence can be seen everywhere. Even when Google One has taken up on this trend, offering an “advanced” AI tier for free. With Dark Web Monitoring becoming a free feature, it seems increased storage could be the only exclusive benefit remaining.
Google One app informs subscribers: “Dark Web Monitoring will no longer be offered on Google One starting in late July.”