5 Security Processes You Shouldn't Overlook During M&A

5 Security Processes You Shouldn't Overlook During M&A
Security needs to be a central element of due diligence if a merger or acquisition is to succeed

There's a lot more attention being put on cybersecurity during the M&A process, and for good reason. The Marriott-Starwood merger is a prime example, shining the spotlight on what can happen if you accidently acquire a data breach. As part of the merger, Marriott acquired many new hotel brands but also unwittingly inherited a large-scale breach that affected approximately 500 million customers resulting from a hack of Starwood's customer reservation database prior to the acquisition deal.


According to a recent Forescout survey of IT and business decision-makers, 65% said they regretted making an acquisition because of a cybersecurity issue. But cybersecurity during M&A isn't just a point-in-time exercise. It should start with due diligence — but even more importantly, cybersecurity should be a key consideration in the entire integration process. That's the real heavy lifting when it comes to cybersecurity and M&A. 


Post-acquisition, there's lots of pressure on the CIO and other executives to get the integration done as quickly as possible so the company can realize the benefits of the deal. While IT sometimes gets a bad reputation for moving slowly during this process, in reality there are a lot of factors and complexity that go into making sure the integration is done smoothly and securely with minimal business disruption. 


Weaving cybersecurity throughout due diligence and then integration planning is a way to set reasonable expectations on the priorities and timing. With that in mind, here are five processes to address before, during, and after a merger or acqu ..

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