CyberArk, not SentinelOne, was always the goal, says Palo Alto CEO
$25B acquisition solidifies Palo Alto’s bet on identity and AI defense.
Shares of Israeli cybersecurity firm SentinelOne surged last week amid speculation that the company was in advanced talks to be acquired by Palo Alto Networks. But just days later, Palo Alto revealed that its true target was a different Israeli-founded cybersecurity firm: CyberArk.
Palo Alto CEO on $25B CyberArk deal: “This is the lowest our stock will be for the next five years”
CyberArk’s $25B exit enriches global funds, not Israelis
In a joint conference call with CyberArk co-founder and chairman Udi Mokady on Wednesday following the announcement of the $25 billion deal, Palo Alto CEO Nikesh Arora confirmed that SentinelOne had never been under serious consideration. “Not SentinelOne,” Arora said with a smile, when asked if the company had pursued other targets. “I have looked at over 300 cybersecurity companies in all shapes and sizes. CyberArk was our number one choice, and I’m delighted we were able to execute on it.”
Arora emphasized that identity security is becoming the critical foundation of next-generation cybersecurity. “The more I learn about cybersecurity, the more I believe the true identity solution is identity security,” he said. “I think the only company that does identity security at scale is CyberArk.”
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Mokady, for his part, acknowledged that rumors about SentinelOne may have stemmed from speculation about Palo Alto’s actual acquisition target. “We were on a path as an independent company,” Mokady said. “We saw a bright future on our own, but inflection requires scale and moving fast. There’s no comparison to what we can do with Palo Alto.”
