The social network giant Facebook is speculated to be close to acquiring a cybersecurity company to shore up its of data protection capability.

Wei Shi

October 22, 2018

1 Min Read
Facebook said to be shopping for a security company

Social network giant Facebook is speculated to be close to acquiring a cybersecurity company to shore up its of data protection capability.

In the wake of a massive security breach, with 29 million users’ data compromised, Facebook is desperately scrambling for a quick and effective solution. One way of doing so, in addition to working with the FBI, is shopping. The Information reported that according to four separate sources, Facebook has approached several unidentified cybersecurity companies for acquisition. One source told the online technology publication that a deal with one of the target companies could be reached before the end of the year.

A professional security solution sourced from outside could help refresh Facebook’s internal measures that might have overlooked vulnerabilities. The leak in late September, which initially was thought to have affected up to 50 million users, resulted from a coding loophole in the “View As” feature, which was attacked by an unknown party disguised as a 3rd-party marketing company. Facebook later clarified that about 30 million users actually had their access tokens stolen, but the attackers failed to gather information on 1 million of them.

On top of the technical expertise to be acquired, a high-profile purchase of a security company would also improve the perception that Facebook is serious about safeguarding user data. The company’s reputation has been repeatedly battered since the Cambridge Analytica scandal, prompting it to go more aggressive with its PR strategy. After recruiting a high calibre ex-politician to its team, adding a professional security solution to its toolkit would do no harm.

About the Author(s)

Wei Shi

Wei leads the Telecoms.com Intelligence function. His responsibilities include managing and producing premium content for Telecoms.com Intelligence, undertaking special projects, and supporting internal and external partners. Wei’s research and writing have followed the heartbeat of the telecoms industry. His recent long form publications cover topics ranging from 5G and beyond, edge computing, and digital transformation, to artificial intelligence, telco cloud, and 5G devices. Wei also regularly contributes to the Telecoms.com news site and other group titles when he puts on his technology journalist hat. Wei has two decades’ experience in the telecoms ecosystem in Asia and Europe, both on the corporate side and on the professional service side. His former employers include Nokia and Strategy Analytics. Wei is a graduate of The London School of Economics. He speaks English, French, and Chinese, and has a working knowledge of Finnish and German. He is based in Telecom.com’s London office.

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