X
Tech

Marlin Equity Partners snaps up cybersecurity firm Fidelis

The investment firm is taking over Fidelis from General Dynamics with the intention of creating a new advanced threat defense service.
Written by Charlie Osborne, Contributing Writer
glowing-keyboard-hacker-security-620x465.jpg

Marlin Equity Partners has entered into an agreement with General Dynamics to acquire Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions, a company which recently discovered the new remote access Trojan AlienSpy.

Announced on Tuesday, the equity firm said Fidelis, which is part of General Dynamics Mission Systems, will become the foundation of a new cybersecurity company called Fidelis Cybersecurity. The new company, which will offer the Fidelis portfolio of solutions designed to help clients combat advanced threats as well as data and intellectual property theft, will be led by Peter George, the current president of General Dynamics Fidelis Cybersecurity Solutions.

Financial details were not disclosed.

Last week, Fidelis released a threat advisory containing details of a new remote access Trojan (RAT) called AlienSpy. According to the firm, the RAT is being used in international phishing campaigns which target both businesses and consumers. AlienSpy displays a number of sophisticated functions which leads Fidelis to believe the malicious code is the result of collaborative efforts, as it contains multiplatform support and new evasion techniques.

See also: BYOD employees 'indifferent' to enterprise security

Peter Chung, a principal at Marlin, said:

"Marlin is very excited to partner with Fidelis' world class management team to expand and grow the company's industry-leading solutions. As global cybersecurity threats continue to become more prevalent, Fidelis' technology is uniquely positioned to help customers defend themselves against advanced malware attacks and internal and external data theft."

The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2015.

LA-based Marlin Equity Partners is a global investment firm with over $3 billion of capital under management, and since its founding has acquired over 85 companies.

Read on: In the world of security

Read on: Fixes and Flaws

Editorial standards