US aerospace and defence contractor Raytheon could be set to snap up another cyber security firm.
Last November it bought Blackbird Technologies for US$420m, and now it is reported to be in talks to acquire Websense, which specialises in protection from…
US aerospace and defence contractor Raytheon could be set to snap up another cyber security firm.
Last November it bought Blackbird Technologies for US$420m, and now it is reported to be in talks to acquire Websense, which specialises in protection from cyber attacks and data theft.
Raytheon is in talks with Websense’s private equity owner, Vista Equity Partners, and a deal could be agreed by the end of March, reported Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter.
Vista is being advised by Citigroup and looking for more than US$1bn for the asset, added the report.
Websense and Raytheon declined to comment.
For Raytheon, the acquisition of Texas-based Websense would be the latest in a series of cyber-related deals the company has made since the end of the last decade, as it seeks to position itself as a “technology leader” in the sector.
The Blackbird deal increased Raytheon’s capabilities in tactical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, secure tactical communications and cybersecurity across multiple networks. Blackbird’s products include satellite-based tracking, asset recovery and communication devices.
In 2011 it bought secure communications provider Applied Signal Technology, which served intelligence, defence and homeland security customers.
Websense is not defence-focused, instead serving business and government clients, which would represent a shift in focus for Raytheon, perhaps best known as the manufacturer of the Patriot missile system.
Raytheon also has a sizeable space business, and was picked last year to build the hyper spectral payload for the first commercial order of Boeing’s 502 Phoenix small satellite platform.
