The tech giant has announced a new security platform, Google Unified Security (GUS), which is expected to revolutionize the way companies approach cybersecurity. The platform combines Google’s existing threat intelligence, security operations, and cloud security services, plus Chrome Enterprise, to create a powerful tool for protecting against threats.
Key Features of GUS
- Browser telemetry and asset context from Chrome Enterprise integrated into Google Security Operations to power threat detections and remediation actions.
- Google Threat Intelligence integrated with security validation to proactively understand exposures and test security controls against the latest observed threat actor activity.
- Cloud risks and exposures from Security Command Center, including those impacting AI workloads, enriched with integrated Google Threat Intelligence to more effectively threat hunt and triage incidents.
Google’s approach to security is similar to Microsoft’s, which introduced task-specific AI agents last month to enhance security operations. Google’s agents, including Google Security Operations and Google Threat Intelligence, use AI to analyze security alerts, malware, and other threats, providing humans with valuable insights to respond accordingly.
Buying Wiz for $32 Billion
In March, Google acquired Wiz, a cloudy security upstart, for a whopping $32 billion. This acquisition has given Google a hot category of security products in the form of Wiz’s Cloud-Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP). CNAPP secures cloud-native applications, monitoring for and removing threats while ensuring compliance with security policies.
| Key Benefits of CNAPP | Features |
|---|---|
| Multi-cloud security capabilities | Secures cloud-native applications, starting with code, throughout runtime, and continually monitoring for and removing threats. |
| Indispensable for cloud infrastructure security | Works across multiple clouds, allowing for sale to Cloud customers and users of other public clouds. |
Wiz’s Acquisition Price
The $32 billion acquisition price is the largest ever in cybersecurity, surpassing Cisco’s $28 billion Splunk purchase last year. Wiz’s acquisition reflects Google’s rush to market and customer acquisition, according to Forrester VP and principal analyst Andras Cser.
“You can develop a CNAPP solution in 3,600 years of engineering time otherwise,” Cser said. “Google didn’t have years to waste, never mind millennia, because Microsoft already has a CNAPP called Defender for Cloud.”
Google’s Strategy
Google’s strategy is to combine its existing security services with the acquisition of Wiz and Mandiant to create a unified security platform. The platform, Google Unified Security (GUS), is expected to launch today, coinciding with Google’s Cloud Next event.
What GUS Offers
GUS is designed to deliver a security platform that covers many functions and controls. It integrates threat intelligence with security validation to proactively understand exposures and test security controls against the latest observed threat actor activity.
- Threat detection and remediation using browser telemetry and asset context from Chrome Enterprise.
- Security validation and threat intelligence to proactively understand exposures and test security controls.
- Cloud risks and exposures from Security Command Center, enriched with integrated Google Threat Intelligence.
Comparison with Microsoft
Microsoft’s approach to security is similar to Google’s, which introduced task-specific AI agents last month to enhance security operations. Microsoft’s agents use AI to analyze security alerts, malware, and other threats, providing humans with valuable insights to respond accordingly.
Gartner Research’s Neil MacDonald
Gartner Research VP Neil MacDonald said that Google’s approach is similar to Microsoft’s, but with some differences. “Microsoft uses this [approach] to great advantage,” MacDonald said. “They’ve got identity, and they’ve got data, and they’ve got a SIEM [Security Information and Event Management platform], and they’ve got endpoint.”
Conclusion
Google’s unified security platform, GUS, is a significant move in the company’s efforts to become a major player in the enterprise security market. With its integration of threat intelligence, security operations, and cloud security services, GUS has the potential to rival Microsoft’s security offerings. As Gartner Research VP Neil MacDonald said, “I believe they want that to happen.
