Optiv Acquires ClearShark, Forming ‘Federal Sector Powerhouse’

Optiv has acquired ClearShark, an advisor and value-added reseller of cybersecurity and modernization technology to the U.S. government. Optiv said the combination creates a “federal sector powerhouse.”

The ClearShark acquisition more than doubles Optiv’s federal presence. It also significantly deepens Optiv’s government expertise and expands its federal capabilities.

Optiv isn’t saying how much it paid for ClearShark.

Kevin Lynch is Optiv‘s CEO.

Optiv’s Kevin Lynch

“ClearShark is now the cornerstone of a vibrant Optiv federal business where we will together bring a new level of world-class federal capabilities to the market at scale,” he said. “Between the uptick in cyberattacks, the recent Biden-Harris Administration’s National Cybersecurity Strategy and other security regulations, cybersecurity has never been more vital. Together with ClearShark, we are primed to better help federal agencies and contractors ensure a strong cybersecurity posture and build a lasting legacy in the public sector space.”

Optiv to Better Serve Clients with ClearShark

With ClearShark, Optiv will better serve current and new clients by providing:

• An expanded federal presence with more direct connections to the public sector.
• An even broader federal team that builds on Optiv’s service and expertise that clients and partners depend on.
• A comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity services and solutions, technical capabilities and federal resources.
• Relationships with the industry’s leading security technology companies and product manufacturers.

The ClearShark acquisition will “absolutely” create new opportunities for Optiv partners, Lynch said.

“This broadens our client base in the federal space, so that is expansionary,” he said. “This opens the door for mission-able and mission-critical partners not currently served by one or both legacy elements of this combination, so that, too, is expansionary.”

Positive for Both Optiv, ClearShark Partners

The vast majority of ClearShark partners are already Optiv partners, Lynch said. The early reaction from Optiv’s partner ecosystem is “powerful and positive, a proxy for what this means for them.”

“We, like other companies, can attempt to forecast national spending on cybersecurity, with varying degrees of accuracy,” he said. “The consensus in the industry is yes, there will be positive secular trends. At Optiv, we are more focused on each client circumstance, delivering with excellence, and growing our relationships and materiality on a foundation of trust, versus a focus on this or other vertical markets in aggregate.”

Brian Strosser is ClearShark’s president.

“Joining forces with the largest pure-play cybersecurity company in the world provides us, our clients and partners with a tremendous growth opportunity,” he said. “We couldn’t be more excited about this partnership or more bullish on the future.”