CyberFOX buys Optimize365 to bolster Microsoft 365 security

CyberFOX has acquired Optimize365, adding Microsoft 365 security to its portfolio.

Optimize365 provides continuous monitoring and hardening for Microsoft 365 tenants, with tools to identify configuration drift, prioritise higher-risk changes and automate remediation. The addition extends CyberFOX's existing products in privileged access management, password management, DNS filtering and Zero Trust Network Access.

The acquisition reflects the pressure on smaller IT teams, which must manage endpoint, identity and cloud security across a growing number of systems with limited staff and budgets. Microsoft 365 environments can add to that burden because settings, permissions and configurations shift over time, creating risks if they are not closely tracked.

With Optimize365, CyberFOX aims to address that problem for small and mid-sized organisations that often lack dedicated staff focused solely on cloud configuration and security hygiene. The combined offering is designed to cover both devices and cloud environments under one provider.

David Bellini, Chief Executive Officer of CyberFOX, said the move responds to a widening security burden for customers.

"IT teams are facing an increasingly complex access attack surface, from endpoints and identities to Microsoft 365 and beyond," Bellini said. "Our goal is to give them a comprehensive suite of security platforms that protects the full access attack surface without adding more complexity."

The transaction is CyberFOX's latest expansion following a nine-figure growth investment led by Level Equity and Radian Capital earlier this year, and its acquisition of SASE provider Timus Networks. Together, the deals point to a strategy of building a broader security portfolio for lean IT operations rather than large in-house security departments.

Service continuity

Optimize365 will continue to operate under its own brand within the CyberFOX portfolio in the near term. Existing Optimize365 partners and customers will see no disruption to service, support or contracts.

CyberFOX also plans to bring Optimize365 into its partner programme and broader product roadmap over the coming quarters. That points to closer alignment between the Microsoft 365 monitoring product and CyberFOX's existing endpoint, identity and network access tools.

Adam Slutskin, Chief Revenue Officer at CyberFOX, said the acquisition broadens what the company can offer customers without requiring another standalone system.

"Optimize365 expands what CyberFOX can deliver to these teams, giving them a more complete approach to security without adding another complex platform to manage," Slutskin said. "It's a natural extension of our mission to give lean IT teams the tools they need to stay ahead of threats."

Cloud drift

The acquisition highlights a persistent issue in Microsoft 365 administration: configuration drift. In many smaller IT shops, responsibility for monitoring tenant settings falls to generalist staff who are also handling support tickets, patching devices and other day-to-day operational work. That can leave security changes to be checked manually, late or not at all.

Continuous monitoring tools have become more relevant as organisations rely more heavily on Microsoft 365 for email, collaboration, identity-linked access and data storage. Changes in permissions or policies can have direct security implications, particularly when they are not reviewed against a defined baseline.

For CyberFOX, Microsoft 365 monitoring fills a gap in a portfolio largely focused on access controls, credentials and network connectivity. For customers, the appeal is likely to be managing more of those functions through a single vendor relationship.

A customer endorsement in the announcement pointed to the operational value of visibility into configuration changes across multiple environments.

"Cybersecurity isn't just about building walls, it's about knowing exactly where the cracks are before someone else finds them," said Charles Love, Chief Operating Officer of ShowTech Solutions. "With Optimize365, we've given our team real-time visibility into configuration drift across our customer environments, catching the small gaps that too often turn into major vulnerabilities. It's helped us move from reactive firefighting to proactive defense, and that shift has been a game-changer for how ShowTech Solutions protects our clients' data."