Akamai is buying Neosec, an API detection and response platform based on data and behavioral analytics, for stronger API security.

Neosec’s API security solution adds to Akamai’s application and API security portfolio by extending its visibility into the growing API threat landscape. The combination aims to make it easy for customers to secure their APIs by helping them discover all of their APIs, assess their risk, and respond to vulnerabilities and attacks.

The combined API solutions are expected to put Akamai at the forefront of a critical emerging category of API security for which customers are actively seeking support. The rapidly growing global market for API security solutions is driven by the proliferation of APIs and the associated increase in cybersecurity threats.

Akamai isn’t saying how much it’s paying for Neosec. It should close this quarter.

Complementing Akamai with API Security

Dave Allen, Akamai‘s vice president of partner sales and services, said Neosec has been very much a partner-led engagement with customers.

Akamai’s Dave Allen

“What we learned from our due-diligence is that partners that work with Neosec perform a significant amount of services on behalf of the customer in this segment,” he said. “From consulting, to solution recommendations via proof of concept bake-offs, to implementation and managing the environment for the customer. From end-to-end, there is partner-led motion wrapped around the product. So partners are well-situated.”

Neosec API security is an extension of application security, Allen said.

“Akamai has been working to address application security for our customers, and now our partners can discuss the role of API security in these same discussions,” he said.

Neosec Partners Welcome

Akamai wants Neosec partners to be part of its partner program, Allen said.

“We welcome them into our ecosystem,” he said. “And now they have access to the greater resources of an Akamai to take advantage of a white-hot market. We intend to honor the partner program terms extended by Neosec. This, plus the scale and reach of Akamai, means partners should be excited by the news of Akamai’s intention to acquire Neosec.”

At this time, there will be no changes to Akamai or Neosec’s partner programs, Allen said.

Neosec, headquartered in Palo Alto, California, and Tel Aviv, Israel, is a privately funded company.

Giora Engel, Neosec‘s co-founder and CEO, said what sets his company apart from other API security providers is the complete visibility into all API activity and the use of behavioral analytics that detect threats others miss.

“Ultimately, Akamai customers will have a better view into all of their API activity, to identify vulnerabilities and threats before they are exposed, and detect attacks in runtime,” he said.