Menlo Security inks cybersecurity partnership with Google Cloud

Startup Menlo Security Inc. today announced that it’s partnering with Google LLC’s cloud unit to help joint customers improve their cybersecurity.

Founded in 2012, Menlo Security is backed by more than $260 million from Vista Equity Partners, General Catalyst and other investors. It provides software that helps companies fend off browser-borne threats such as phishing websites. Menlo Security says that its installed base includes multiple Fortune 500 enterprises and government agencies. 

The company’s new partnership with Google Cloud centers on a new offering, the Menlo Security Enterprise Browser, that it launched a few weeks ago. It’s designed to protect workers from malicious websites, phishing emails and other online threats. Companies can integrate it into their employees’ installations of Chrome via an extension.

The extension also works with other browsers built on Chromium, the open-source engine that underpins Chrome. Microsoft Corp.’s Edge is the most prominent example. 

The Menlo Security Enterprise Browser doesn’t open web pages on the user’s device, but rather runs them inside an isolated sandbox hosted in the cloud. To support customer deployments of the platform, Menlo Security will expand its use of Google Cloud infrastructure. Additionally, it plans to make the browser security software available through the Google Cloud Marketplace later this year.

Rendering content in the cloud is not the only way Menlo Security’s platform blocks cyberattacks. The company has developed an artificial intelligence tool, HEAT Shield, that can detect phishing websites designed to trick workers into disclosing sensitive data. The tool spots signs of malicious activity such as attempts to imitate a well-known brand’s logo in webpages. 

According to Menlo Security, another focus of the partnership with Google Cloud is helping joint customers use the search giant’s Chronicle Security Operations and VirusTotal products. The former platform allows administrators to analyze telemetry from their company’s infrastructure for breach indicators. VirusTotal is a large database of known malware strands that cybersecurity teams can use to check if a suspicious file is malicious.

The partnership announced today also encompasses Mandiant. The Google unit, which became part of the search giant through a $5.4 billion acquisition in 2022, provides software and professional services that help companies mitigate cyberattacks. Menlo Security will provide Mandiant with browser security training to help enhance its capabilities. 

“Partnering with Google Cloud enhances our AI capabilities, expands our global reach through the Google Cloud platform, and strengthens Mandiant’s browser security expertise,” said Menlo Security Chief Executive Officer Amir Ben-Efraim. “The new capabilities bring added depth to browser security for enterprises without adding user or management complexity.”

On occasion of the Menlo Security Enterprise Browser’s debut in February, the company disclosed that its tools are used by about 8 million workers across nearly 1,000 organizations. The software maker previously received a $800 million valuation in late 2020 following a $100 million funding round.

Image: Menlo Security