• The acquisition adds one of the world’s most respected ethical hacking training and penetration testing firms to the Claranet portfolio
• NotSoSecure’s customers include leading financial institutions in New York and London and some of the largest retail businesses in the US and the UK

Managed IT services provider Claranet has today announced the acquisition of ethical hacking training and penetration testing experts NotSoSecure.

This latest move follows the acquisition last year of UK-based security firm, SEC-1, and the opening of a new Claranet Security Operations Centre in Portugal. These additions, combined with existing security capabilities in other Claranet countries, demonstrate the significant investment Claranet is putting into the development of a world-leading security services capability.

NotSoSecure specialises in penetration testing for networks, web and mobile applications and is one of the largest suppliers of ethical hacking training to the globally-acclaimed Black Hat conferences, bringing a highly respected level of expertise to the cybersecurity industry. The company, established in Cambridge, UK, now has teams in San Francisco and India, and supports clients worldwide.

NotSoSecure works with a range of internationally-renowned businesses and organisations, encompassing government agencies, FTSE 250 players and Fortune 500 companies. The company is focused on growing its US business and with Claranet’s support it intends to strengthen its presence in this market, as well as expanding its footprint in Australia and Asia.

The company’s founders, Dan Haagman and Sumit (Sid) Siddharth, are remaining with the business to support these international growth ambitions and will continue to play leading roles as Claranet further develops its cybersecurity services in the coming years.

Charles Nasser, Founder and CEO of Claranet, said: “Our acquisition of NotSoSecure has been made as part of our vision to further enhance the security services and expertise that we are able to offer to our customers, as well as gain access to new global markets such as the US and Australia. NotSoSecure has a superb track record and an illustrious worldwide reputation, encapsulated by the leading training role it plays at the Black Hat conferences, so we are confident that bringing the company into the Claranet Group will be hugely beneficial to the customers that we serve.

“NotSoSecure’s passion for excellence and desire to be at the forefront of cybersecurity training and innovation were crucial factors in this latest acquisition. Their ambitious aims for growth are very much aligned with our own, so we are eagerly anticipating the impact they will have on the success of the wider Group,” he added.

Commenting on the acquisition, Sumit (Sid) Siddharth, Co-Founder and CTO of NotSoSecure said: “Since we established the business, the risk of cyber-attacks for organisations around the world has grown exponentially. However, this has not been matched by an increase in training and knowledge and, as a result, there is now a severe global skills shortage in cyber-security. Our strong presence at Black Hat and other leading conferences means that we get a lot of business in the US through word-of-mouth alone, but I believe that we are just scratching the surface. With Claranet’s backing and experience of breaking into new territories, we are in a strong position to build our service portfolio and seize market share in this rapidly growing and evolving industry.

“We are delighted to add our specialist, hands-on training and pen testing expertise to Claranet’s portfolio of services and look forward to extending our reach, so businesses can develop their capabilities and stay secure.”