At the start of this week, news emerged of the sudden closure of Skybox Security and the acquisition of its assets and intellectual property (IP) by Tufin.

In the dynamic cybersecurity sector, it’s rare for a company to suffer financial problems severe enough to result in closure. However, those with longer memories may recall how DigiNotar and Norse shut down for various reasons. For Skybox, the news came abruptly, reportedly leaving around 300 employees without jobs.

Considering Their Future

What does this mean for Skybox’s customers, and how did Tufin’s acquisition come about? SC UK spoke with Ray Brancato, CEO of Tufin, who revealed that Skybox reached out to them just a few months ago while considering their future. “I don’t know all the internal particulars of what was happening with them, but they had decided to cease operations. They made the difficult decision to do so this past Monday,” he said.

Brancato clarified that Tufin did not purchase the company outright but instead acquired limited IP and specific customer information. “We just wanted to help customers,” he added.

This process began about a month and a half ago. When asked whether there was any indication that Skybox was looking to sell, Brancato responded, “I don’t know for sure, but we made a business decision to acquire certain assets. We didn’t buy the contracts or anything of that nature—just some limited assets and information.”

“As of Monday, they’ve ceased operations, and there’s no ongoing support for their customers. I empathise with those customers, which is why we’re working quickly to transition them to the Tufin platform,” he said.

Brancato explained that Tufin is actively reaching out to as many Skybox customers as possible, many of whom have already made contact, to facilitate a smooth transition to the Tufin Orchestration Suite.

Specific Assets

When asked whether acquiring the entire company was an option, Brancato reiterated that he made a business decision to purchase only specific assets and information.

Regarding whether Skybox had approached other potential buyers, Brancato admitted he wasn’t certain. “I don’t know if they were in talks with other companies. We were not privy to any other discussions, so I can only speak to our agreement.”

Reflecting on previous instances of cybersecurity companies going out of business, we asked if he was surprised by Skybox’s abrupt closure. Brancato pointed to current market conditions: “Whether you’re a publicly traded or private company, financial strength is crucial. That’s something Tufin has focused on over the last few years. We’ve turned a corner in the last two and a half years, becoming a growing, profitable company. In our space, financial stability is key.”

“Once a company achieves financial strength, it can invest more in innovation and customer success. This situation highlights the importance of evaluating a company’s overall financial health when investing in cybersecurity solutions,” he added.

Visibility

How does Skybox’s technology—a SaaS-based platform that helps organisations map, prioritise, and remediate vulnerabilities—fit into Tufin’s security policy management and Orchestration Suite? According to Brancato, Skybox’s offerings overlap with Tufin’s in areas such as security policy management, visibility, and compliance. “Customers need visibility into their policies, whether it’s on-prem firewalls, SASE, SD-WAN, or cloud environments, as well as automation,” he explained.

“Some Skybox customers focused solely on visibility, while others used automation. We offer all those capabilities and more,” he added. “We have approximately three times the number of customers they had, but their customers are looking for the same things—visibility, compliance, and automation across hybrid environments.”

Brancato noted that there is a strong overlap in customer bases. Skybox had a presence in the U.S. and a significant footprint in Israel, as well as customers in EMEA and North America. “Tufin also has customers in these regions, along with APAC, so we have the resources to support them where they are.”

Immediate Future

After the acquisition is finalised and customers are onboarded, what does the next six to twelve months look like? Brancato outlined an Express Path program designed for Skybox customers. This includes special pricing to accommodate those still in the middle of their Skybox contracts. “We want to ensure flexible pricing so they can fit the transition into their budget. Services are also part of this package,” he said.

Additionally, Tufin has created an Express Onboarding Migration Package to streamline the transition. “We have an online learning centre with unlimited access, including video tutorials comparing Skybox and Tufin functionalities. These resources are designed to make the transition smoother.”

Regular Office Hours calls, demonstrations, and a dedicated Skybox customer breakout session at Tufin’s annual conference will also help with onboarding. “We’re spending a lot of time with these customers to introduce them to Tufin and get them up and running as quickly as possible,” Brancato said.

“I know this is a difficult situation for Skybox customers, and we’re very empathetic. But as the only financially strong and growing company in this space, we’re here to help them transition to a robust platform.”

Skybox’s sudden closure came as a surprise to many, but Tufin’s onboarding efforts should help make the transition smoother. As Brancato noted, when assessing cybersecurity providers, financial stability is crucial—though whether a company is willing to disclose its financial standing is another matter entirely.

Dan Raywood Senior Editor SC Media UK

Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.

He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.

Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.