Cybersecurity company Zscaler will acquire enterprise data-asset monitoring startup Symmetry Systems, SiliconANGLE reported on May 21. The deal value was not disclosed.

According to the report, Symmetry Systems has built a platform that automatically creates an inventory of enterprise data assets. It finds data across public cloud, SaaS applications and on-premises hardware. It also supports air-gapped environments that are not connected to the internet for security reasons. When it discovers new data, it creates tags that classify file sensitivity and continuously monitors changes and abnormal access attempts.

Security teams can use Symmetry Systems software to detect attempts by ransomware to encrypt sensitive data. If hackers steal employee login credentials, it can identify what data was exposed. The company said this used to take days but can now be determined immediately.

Compliance teams can also check whether files are stored in line with personal data protection laws and industry-specific security frameworks.

The Symmetry Systems platform can also scan datasets that companies use to train AI models. It maps the data used for training and determines whether it meets data quality standards. It also supports security for information handled by AI agents. Agents may process prompts and input data into external applications, and the Symmetry Systems platform helps detect potential data leaks related to this.

Zscaler plans to integrate Symmetry Systems' AI agent governance functions into its Zero Trust Exchange product. The goal is to automatically adjust security controls using AI agent activity data collected by Symmetry Systems.

Zscaler CEO Jay Chaudhry (제이 차우드리) said, "As enterprises rapidly adopt AI, existing access control approaches built around users and directories cannot scale to millions of AI agents."