Proofpoint Agrees to Buy Varonis in $6.3 Billion Deal Built Around Data Security and AI

Proofpoint agreed on Thursday to acquire Varonis Systems in a cash transaction valued at approximately $6.3 billion. The deal brings together two different approaches to security. Varonis focuses on data security: finding where sensitive information sits inside an organisation, who can reach it and how it is actually used. Proofpoint, which is owned by private equity firm Thoma Bravo, protects people by blocking phishing, fraud and other attacks that mostly arrive by email.

Proofpoint CEO Sumit Dhawan said AI is changing security on two fronts. Outside the business, attackers are using AI to run faster and more advanced campaigns aimed at data and critical systems. Inside, companies are deploying AI agents with wide access to sensitive information, which creates new kinds of insider risk. Dhawan described data security as protecting data from compromise, loss and misuse by people or AI agents.

Proofpoint says its reach includes 3.4 million customers and 2.37 trillion emails scanned each year. It says this intelligence feeds a Knowledge Graph that strengthens its AI models, and the companies see it combining with Varonis' visibility into sensitive data. Dhawan said the goal is stronger protection with less complexity and lower costs, along with vendor consolidation and open integrations across the wider security ecosystem. This article covers only the opening of the original report.