UKFast chief to develop cyber research lab

Secarma, a cyber security firm owned by Lawrence Jones MBE and CEO of UKFast, will develop a research lab specifically for cyber security after its acquisition of security specialist firm Pentest Ltd. The figure it took to purchase the company has yet to be disclosed.

Pentest’s 45-man workforce, which counts worldwide blue chip companies as clients, and boasts a £2.75m turnover, will now be based at the UKFast campus.

UKFast said that the deal provides an opportunity for the two firms to combine their specialist knowledge and grow their respective client bases.

John Denneny, MD of Pentest, said:

“In order for us to continue our current rapid growth curve, we believe the time was right to look for a partner whose approach to business and its employees very much mirrors ours. The deal gives us the opportunity to invest in our people and its future growth to a degree that we could not match standalone.”

Denneny went on to say that Secarma is the ideal partner, an ambitious firm with a current management that illustrates an awareness of the industry and the potential it holds.

The acquisition will also enable Pentest, based in Altrincham, to improve its reach in the US. It already boasts numerous clients in Silicon Valley. Most of its US income is generated from one particular client: Oracle.

The acquisition demonstrates how the big boys view cyber security. It is of growing concern in light of several high-profile breaches of late. Small firms also need to sit up and take notice, however, and make IT security jobs available to those with the ability to prevent a breach within their firm.