Zscaler Inc. is acquiring Symmetry Systems Inc., a startup that helps companies monitor their data assets, to extend its AI agent security capabilities. The companies announced the acquisition without disclosing the financial terms.
Zscaler, a Nasdaq-listed company, sells cybersecurity tools that protect employees from malicious websites and phishing emails. Its software also mitigates cyberattacks targeting artificial intelligence applications, including cross-platform messages.
The acquisition of Symmetry Systems will expand Zscaler‘s capabilities in this area. Symmetry Systems has built a platform that automatically creates an inventory of a company’s data assets, including records across public clouds, software-as-a-service applications, and on-premises hardware.
The platform also supports air-gapped environments, sensitive systems that aren’t connected to the web for cybersecurity reasons. After finding a new record, the software generates a tag describing the file’s sensitivity.
Symmetry Systems monitors data assets for changes and unusual access attempts. They say their platform provides visibility into datasets, lending itself to various use cases, including detecting ransomware attempts and identifying compromised records.
Enhancing Cybersecurity Capabilities
Cybersecurity teams can use the software to detect when ransomware attempts to encrypt sensitive records. If hackers steal a worker’s login credentials, the platform instantly determines what records may have been compromised, which is crucial for software security.
Regulatory compliance teams can also use the software to check if files are stored in accordance with privacy laws and industry-specific cybersecurity frameworks. The platform can scan datasets used to train AI models, mapping out records used in a training run and determining compliance with data quality standards.
Symmetry Systems can help companies secure information ingested by their AI agents. Agents often input data into third-party applications while processing a prompt, and the platform can identify potential data leaks, which is essential for machine learning security.
Zero Trust Exchange Product Enhancement
Zscaler will use Symmetry Systems‘ platform to enhance its Zero Trust Exchange product. The software creates encrypted network connections for workers and agents to access internal applications.
According to the company, Zero Trust Exchange will harness data collected by Symmetry Systems‘ platform about AI agent activity to automatically fine-tune cybersecurity controls. Zscaler Chief Executive Officer Jay Chaudhry said the old playbook for governing access cannot scale to millions of AI agents.
Zscaler expects to close the acquisition in the coming days. They will use Symmetry Systems‘ access graph to map how every identity, application, and data source connects across the enterprise.
In a statement, Jay Chaudhry said, “As enterprises rapidly adopt AI, we are adding the access graph that maps how every identity, application, and data source connects across the enterprise.”
- Zscaler is a Nasdaq-listed company that sells cybersecurity tools.
- Symmetry Systems has built a platform that automatically creates an inventory of a company’s data assets.
- The platform supports air-gapped environments and monitors data assets for changes and unusual access attempts.
The acquisition is expected to enhance Zscaler‘s AI agent security capabilities, providing better protection for companies’ data assets.
