EY buys Melbourne cyber security firm

Big four audit firm EY has acquired identity and access management software-as-a-service provider Open Windows in a bid to create an end-to-end cyber security offering.

Melbourne-based Open Windows is part-owned by former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett and employs 45 staff.

The acquisition bolsters EY's ambition to provide a suite of cyber security advisory services - spanning everything from strategy to implementation - throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Open Windows will form the central plank of this regional identity and access management platform, EY said. It will specifically target critical infrastructure.

“Connected infrastructure, growing networks and internet-enabled devices mean our communities are increasingly vulnerable to risk of attack from sophisticated cyber criminals, who often use weak identity management controls to compromise systems,” EY lead partner for cyber security in APAC Richard Watson said in a statement.

“With an end-to-end cyber advisory and implementation capability EY is now better placed than ever to help clients protect critical systems."

Open Windows CEO Simon Adley will lead the new EY IAM advisory practice. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

It marks the latest play in a sector fiercely competing to own technology capability, whether it be through acquisitions of traditional IT specialists, fintech firms, or the booming emerging technologies market.