Content delivery network (CDN) vendor Akamai today acquired microsegmentation vendor Guardicore for approximately $600 million in a bid to combat the rampant spread of ransomware.

The Tel Aviv, Israel-based company’s platform is designed to limit user access to only those applications to which they are authorized. Akamai claims the technology is complimentary to its zero-trust security push and will help to limit the spread of malware across the network.

“Given the recent surge in ransomware attacks and increasingly stringent compliance regulations, investing in technologies to reduce the spread of malware has become mission critical,” Akamai CEO Tom Leighton said in a statement. “By adding Cloudicore’s leading microsegmentation products to Akamai’s comprehensive portfolio of zero-trust solutions, we believe Akamai will be able to provide the most effective way to combat ransomware on the market today.”

Cloudicore's microsegmentation capabilities provides an additional layer of defense against the spread of malware after its gained a foothold on the corporate network. “As a result, breaches can be detected early on so that corrective actions can be taken as quickly as possible,” Akamai claims.

Akamai is best known for its large CDN and domain name system (DNS) products, but has made significant investments in security in recent years. The company offers web application firewall, zero-trust network access (ZTNA), DNS security, and secure web gateway (SWG) functionality.

The functionality has led at least one analyst to label Akamai and rival CDN vendor Cloudflare secure access service edge (SASE) dark horses.

The Guardicore deal is expected the close in the fourth quarter of 2021, and is anticipated to contribute up to $35 million to Akamai's annual revenue in 2022.