Recorded Future acquires internet inventory startup SecurityTrails for $65M

Threat intelligence giant Recorded Future announced Tuesday that it has acquired SecurityTrails, an internet inventory startup that collects and banks current and historical domain and IP address data, for $65 million.

Financial terms of the deal were not immediately disclosed. A spokesperson for Recorded Future confirmed the acquisition price.

SecurityTrails collects and maintains vast amounts of current and historical internet records, such as domain name records, registration data and DNS information, giving organizations visibility into what their threat attack surface is — that is, the networks and servers that are accessible from the wider internet.

The two companies have a long-standing relationship already. SecurityTrails became a technology partner in 2018 — a year after it was founded — providing Recorded Future with data for its intelligence platform, which customers use to improve their security standing and fend off adversaries.

The deal will deepen technological ties between the two companies. In remarks, Recorded Future’s co-founder and chief executive Dr. Christopher Ahlberg said that the combined technology from the two companies makes life “miserable for the adversary.”

The acquisition comes less than a year after Recorded Future invested in SecurityTrails from its newly established Intelligence Fund for early-stage startups. Recorded Future was bought by Insight Partners in April 2019 for $780 million.

Chris Ueland, SecurityTrails’s co-founder and chief executive, said the two companies “naturally complement each other in terms of providing risk landscape visibility.”

Recorded Future launches its new $20M Intelligence Fund for early-stage startups