Google is bolstering its cybersecurity with the Mandiant acquisition.

Google has completed its $5.4 billion acquisition of cybersecurity firm Mandiant. The all-cash deal will see Mandiant's entire team of 750 employees join Google, with the company becoming a part of Google Cloud.

The acquisition is part of Google's continuing efforts to bolster its presence in the enterprise cybersecurity space. With threat actors becoming more sophisticated and cyberattacks on the rise, businesses are placing greater importance on cybersecurity. Indeed, the global enterprise security market is expected to grow from $170 billion in 2020 to $265 billion by 2026, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8%, according to MarketsandMarkets research.

Google has been building out its own cybersecurity offerings in recent years, including introducing a new Security Key Enforcement program for G Suite customers last month and partnering with business intelligence firm Dun & Bradstreet to help enterprises assess their cyber risks.

Mandiant is a subsidiary of FireEye and one of the world's leading computer forensics and incident response firms. The company has investigated some of the biggest data breaches in recent memory, including those suffered by Sony Pictures Entertainment, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Anthem, and Equifax.

According to Gartner, approximately 98% of organizations experienced at least one form of lateral movement during an incident in 2019. Lateral movement occurs when attackers move laterally within Victim networks after gaining an initial foothold, acquiring additional user credentials along the way until they find systems hosting high-value data assets or strategic control points from which they can launch attacks that have maximum business impact.

With its technology and expertise, Mandiant will be able to help Google Cloud customers defend against and respond to lateral movement threats. In particular, Mandiant brings with it M-Trends – FireEye’s annual report that contains original threat research and insights based on frontline investigations – as well as Mandiant Advantage, a managed detection and response service that provides continuous network monitoring for advanced threats.

This acquisition is part of Google's continuing efforts to bolster its presence in the enterprise cybersecurity space. With threat actors becoming more sophisticated and cyberattacks on the rise, businesses are placing greater importance on cybersecurity. Indeed, the global enterprise security market is expected to grow from $170 billion in 2020 to $265 billion by 2026, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.8%, according to MarketsandMarkets research.

The bottom line is that Google's acquisition of Mandiant is good news for everyone who is concerned about cybersecurity. The two companies are now better positioned than ever before to develop new solutions to some of the most pressing problems facing businesses and consumers today. And that can only mean good things for the future of cybersecurity.