Deloitte buys Colorado-based cybersecurity firm R9B

Deloitte US has acquired Root9B, LLC (R9B), a Colorado Springs, CO-based firm specializing in cyber threat hunting services and solutions.

Founded in 2011, R9B provides managed services and solutions in cyber threat hunting and detection and response. The firm also provides services in digital forensics and incident response, threat intelligence, and cybersecurity training and certification.

The firm says that it was the first company to introduce threat hunting to the commercial market. Threat hunting is a cyber defense activity that proactively searches networks to isolate threats that evade standard security solutions such as firewalls and intrusion detection systems.

R9B has approximately 80 employees across offices in Colorado Springs, San Antonio, and New York, according to LinkedIn.

Deloitte’s acquisition of R9B will bolster the firm’s “detect and respond” offering within its cybersecurity practice. The offering helps clients monitor, detect, and respond to threats with services in security operations development, analytics, cyber threat intelligence, incident response, and threat hunting.

Deloitte’s broader cybersecurity practice advises on strategy, data and privacy, application security, infrastructure, identity, cloud, and emerging technology.

"Commercial and government entities contend with cyber adversaries who use incredibly sophisticated technology to penetrate legacy defenses and take advantage of expanding attack surfaces," said Deborah Golden, Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory cyber and strategic risk leader. "The addition of R9B's business will expand our complement of skilled cyber professionals and leading technologies, while also offering our clients an advantage against adversaries.”

Deloitte delivers managed threat detection and response through its Fusion Managed Services brand, which is based primarily in Rosslyn, VA. The firm has more than 4,000 cyber risk professionals, and completed more than 2,600 cyber risk engagements in 2018.

"Deloitte continually works to provide outstanding value to our clients," said John Peirson, Deloitte Risk & Financial Advisory CEO.  "Adding R9B's business to our existing cyber practice is just one more way we're accelerating meaningful investments into the innovative approaches we offer our clients as they work to manage emerging threats."

Cybersecurity and cloud implementation firms have been two hot acquisition areas for consulting firms as client demand has spiked due to pandemic-accelerated digitalization. Some recent acquisitions in the cybersecurity consulting space include Gigit’s purchase of Peak InfoSec, Protiviti’s acquisition of Identropy, and Ankura’s acquisition of UnitedLex.