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Thoma Bravo's Proofpoint is said in talks to acquire Varonis. September 2, 2026 at 12:01 PM PDT Updated on September 2, 2026 at 1:57 PM PDT Takeaways by bloomberg aisubscribe. Thoma Bravo-backed Proofpoint Inc. is in talks to acquire cybersecurity company Varonis Systems Inc., which would be one of the biggest technology take-privates since the steep selloff in software stocks earlier this year, according to people familiar with the matter. Proofpoint is negotiating the terms of a potential deal with Varonis, which has been working with advisers to field takeover interest, said the people, asking not to be identified because the information is private. A transaction could be announced in the coming weeks, assuming the talks don't fall apart, they said.

Proofpoint expands APJ data security amid AI risks. Tue, 1st Sep 2026 (Today) Proofpoint has expanded its data security operations across Asia Pacific and Japan, adding local infrastructure and compliance support in several APJ markets. The expansion is intended to address rising data sovereignty demands as businesses in the region deploy more artificial intelligence tools and autonomous agents. It includes local data centre support in Singapore and broader local service delivery in India and Japan, while maintaining existing locally delivered services in Australia. At the centre of the rollout is Proofpoint's data security platform, which combines data loss prevention, insider threat management, and data security posture management. The regional build-out is designed to help customers keep sensitive information within local jurisdictions while linking data risk findings to controls aligned with national privacy laws. Proofpoint already provides locally delivered Email DLP, Endpoint DLP, Insider Threat Management software-as-a-service, and Cloud DLP in Australia. In India, the same services are already delivered locally, with Data Security Posture Management to be added. In Japan, local support is expanding to include Cloud DLP and Data Security Posture Management, while Singapore is being added as a new local hosting location for several services. AI pressure Proofpoint positioned the expansion around the effect of AI adoption on corporate data governance. According to its 2026 AI and Human Risk Landscape report, 86% of organisations in APJ have moved AI assistants beyond pilot programmes and 74% are progressing with autonomous agents, while 51% said their security posture remains inconsistent, reactive, or still catching up. That mismatch has become a central concern for security teams because AI systems often need broad access to internal information to function. When existing permission structures are weak or excessive, those problems can spread more quickly as machine-led tools are introduced into everyday workflows. George Lee, Senior Vice President, Asia Pacific and Japan, at Proofpoint, said the company is seeing a convergence of AI-related data risk and tightening regulation across the region. "Data loss has always primarily been a people problem; however, as AI adoption accelerates, that problem is compounding within the APJ region. In this new agentic workspace, enterprises are increasingly facing new challenges like shadow AI and AI over-permissioning, which lead to data loss issues that are already challenging to manage," Lee said. He added that compliance and protection can no longer be treated as separate tracks. "That governance gap is arriving at the same time as compliance requirements across the region are getting stronger, which means organisations can no longer treat data protection and regulatory compliance as separate problems. Closing both requires intent-based protection that understands how data is actually being used, paired with local capability to keep that data hosted where regulations require it," Lee said. Regional rules The APJ expansion reflects a wider shift among security suppliers towards local hosting and country-specific compliance mapping. Regulators across Asia have tightened rules around how personal and corporate data is stored, transferred, and monitored, particularly where cross-border data flows are involved. Proofpoint said its controls are aligned with regional frameworks including Singapore's Personal Data Protection Act, India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information, and Australia's Privacy Act. Its system also maps data risk findings to recommended controls across more than 25 compliance and regulatory frameworks. Those requirements matter because many organisations now face a mix of local legal obligations and global internal security standards. For multinationals operating across APJ, a fragmented set of tools can make it harder to understand where sensitive data sits, who has access to it, and whether controls match local rules. Loss rates Proofpoint's survey data points to a high level of concern in the region. In its latest Voice of the CISO report, 99% of Chief Information Security Officers in India and 91% in Singapore said they had experienced material data loss in the past year, compared with a global average of 66%. Those figures suggest that broad use of data loss prevention tools has not eliminated the problem. Security specialists have increasingly focused on whether existing systems are too narrow, operating in silos across email, endpoint devices, and cloud environments without connecting user behaviour to the underlying sensitivity of the data involved. Proofpoint said its approach brings together Data Security Posture Management, Enterprise DLP, Adaptive Email DLP, and Insider Threat Management in one system. That allows security teams to identify sensitive data, monitor how it is being accessed by people and AI agents, and act on excessive access before it contributes to a breach or loss event. More than 80 of the Fortune 100 and more than 14,000 large enterprises use Proofpoint's services. In APJ, the latest infrastructure expansion is aimed at organisations trying to balance AI deployment with national compliance requirements and a persistent rate of data loss.

Forcepoint appoints Vincent Merlin as Chief Marketing Officer. Forcepoint, a global leader in AI-driven data security, has announced the appointment of Vincent Merlin as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The move is aimed at accelerating worldwide adoption of the company's AI Data Security platform and strengthening its position in the rapidly evolving AI security market. Reporting directly to CEO Ryan Windham, Merlin will oversee Forcepoint's global marketing strategy, including brand development, demand generation, product marketing, and analyst relations. His appointment comes as organizations increasingly seek ways to harness artificial intelligence while maintaining control over sensitive data, governance, and compliance requirements. A seasoned technology and cybersecurity executive with more than 20 years of experience, Merlin joins Forcepoint from Proofpoint, where he spent a decade in senior marketing leadership roles. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Global Growth Marketing, helping drive the company's expansion and AI-led transformation as annual recurring revenue grew from approximately $400 million to over $2.4 billion. He has also held leadership positions at AVEVA, Dell EMC, and RSA. "Forcepoint is giving enterprises the confidence to put their best information to work while staying in control. As AI adoption accelerates, organizations need security that enables innovation without compromising governance, visibility, or trust," said Vincent Merlin, Chief Marketing Officer, Forcepoint. Forcepoint CEO Ryan Windham said enterprises are entering a new era where trust must be embedded into every AI interaction and decision. He noted that organizations that successfully maintain control of AI systems and the data they access will be best positioned to thrive in the coming decade. Forcepoint's AI Data Security platform is designed to help businesses identify, manage, and protect sensitive data across cloud, web, email, network, endpoint, and AI environments through a unified policy framework. The company believes this approach is essential as enterprises increasingly deploy agentic AI and autonomous systems across their operations. Merlin is expected to play a key role in advancing Forcepoint's vision of AI data security and will join company executives and industry experts at the upcoming Forcepoint AWARE: Decoding Agentic AI Security virtual conference on September 16, 2026, where discussions will focus on securing the future of enterprise AI adoption.