Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) present a significant opportunity for threat actors to exploit vulnerabilities in company and employee data. The pressure to consolidate and integrate quickly can lead to oversights in security, leaving organizations at risk for data breaches. To mitigate these risks, organizations must understand the challenges and vulnerabilities present in each partner involved in the M&A process.
One of the most common risks associated with M&A is malicious or negligent data breaches. Combining two companies, workforces, security stacks, and protocols can create chaos and confusion, leaving opportunities for data leaks. This can result in significant damage to assets and reputations, making it particularly devastating for M&A deals.
Additionally, M&A deals often involve companies from different geographical locations, introducing potential legal, privacy, and cultural concerns. Compliance teams must determine the new regulations that must be followed to stay in compliance with local, regional, national, and international laws.
The integration of two separate systems can also pose significant risks to company infrastructure. Compatibility and configuration issues can leave the company vulnerable while security teams work to integrate the systems. This can further complicate an already complex security stack and negatively impact performance.
To mitigate these risks, CISOs and CIOs are turning to Zero-Trust architectures through enterprise browsers. These enterprise browsers provide a centralized point of control, visibility and workflows that cover all corporate assets, regardless of geographical location. This allows for access control to be granted based on the user, group, or even an app, ensuring access to only the sensitive information necessary for their job requirements.
enterprise browsers can also support M&A by enforcing Data Leakage Prevention (DLP) policies and web filtering within minutes. This ensures that sensitive data is not accidentally shared or leaked during the integration process. DLP policies can be set up to automatically identify and block the transfer of sensitive data, such as financial information, personal data, and confidential business documents. Web filtering can also be used to block access to non-compliant or malicious websites, reducing the risk of phishing attacks or malware infections.
In addition to providing access control and security, enterprise browsers also provide visibility into the activities of employees during the M&A process. This includes monitoring data transfers, and detecting any suspicious behavior. This allows the organization to quickly identify and respond to any potential security threats, ensuring that the M&A process is completed safely and securely.
Why SURF?
SURF's enterprise browser can help contribute to the success of an M&A deal by speeding integration, reducing risk and granting visibility within minutes. It allows for quick and easy role-focused security assignments without the need for additional infrastructure investments. It ensures a secure, compliant environment for seamless access to critical applications and data without disruption and the potential for leak.