Microsoft to buy US-Israeli cyber firm Hexadite

Microsoft has agreed to acquire Hexadite, a US-Israeli provider of technology to automate responses to cyber attacks.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

In May, Israeli financial news website Calcalist said Microsoft would pay US$100 million (A$132 million) for Hexadite. The firm is headquartered in Boston with its research and development centre in Israel.

Hexadite says its technology increases productivity and reduces costs for businesses.

Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, said Hexadite will enable the company to add new tools and services to Microsoft’s enterprise security offerings.

Investors in Hexadite include Hewlett Packard Ventures and venture capital firms TenEleven and YL Ventures.

Microsoft said in January it plans to continue to invest more than US$1 billion annually on cyber security research and development in the coming years