LevelBlue acquires Trustwave to create largest managed security firm

LevelBlue has completed its acquisition of Trustwave, establishing what it describes as the world's largest pure-play managed security services provider by combining their managed security, cyber advisory, and threat intelligence capabilities.

According to LevelBlue, the acquisition brings together its artificial intelligence-driven threat detection and strategic cyber expertise with Trustwave's managed detection and response services and its SpiderLabs team, providing what the company believes will deliver improved protection, faster incident response, and enhanced cyber resilience for customers globally.

Expanded offering

The combined entity aims to deliver a broad portfolio of managed security, offensive security, strategic advisory, incident response, and security software. LevelBlue expects that this increased scale will help clients accelerate threat detection, streamline security operations, reduce cyber risk, and mature their cybersecurity posture.

Bob McCullen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LevelBlue, said, "The acquisition of Trustwave makes us the most complete cybersecurity partner in the industry. We're redefining what it means to be a managed security provider - combining world-class human expertise with AI-powered, platform-led services to give clients faster detection, smarter response, and long-lasting resilience against evolving threats. By uniting offensive and defensive strengths, we can deliver true defence in depth for enterprises, governments, and partners worldwide."

LevelBlue and Trustwave bring together experience in managed security services (MSS), managed detection and response (MDR), incident response, and threat intelligence. LevelBlue's expertise in network security, strategic risk management, and threat intelligence will be integrated with Trustwave's Fusion Security Operations Platform and SpiderLabs threat intelligence team.

The company points to benefits for customers in the form of simplified security operations, more rapid response to incidents, use of the latest cybersecurity technologies, and increased protection across various digital environments, whether cloud-based, on-premises or hybrid.

Threat intelligence integration

The acquisition will see the integration of LevelBlue's Open Threat Exchange (OTX), described as the world's largest open threat-sharing platform, with detection logic and research from both LevelBlue Labs and Trustwave SpiderLabs. The company states this combination is intended to increase visibility over the threat landscape, promote quicker detection of issues, decrease the problem of alert fatigue among security analysts, and enable more proactive security strategies throughout the lifecycle of threats.

The group also notes Trustwave's recent achievement as the first and only pure-play cybersecurity provider to obtain full authorised status under both the Federal Risk and Authorisation Management Program (FedRAMP) and StateRAMP initiatives. According to LevelBlue, these credentials strengthen its ability to serve the United States Department of Defence, the Defence Industrial Base, federal agencies, and state and local governments, supporting procurement and compliance requirements as well as resilience for organisations requiring high levels of uptime and security.

Analyst commentary

Craig Robinson, IDC Research Vice President for Security Services, said, "LevelBlue's acquisition of Trustwave, on the heels of the Stroz Friedberg transaction, marks a pivotal moment in cybersecurity, delivering a very broad portfolio of capabilities among pure-play services providers. As cyber risks escalate, resilience is now mission-critical for enterprises and government agencies alike. IDC research shows that 36 per cent of organisations are significantly increasing their cyber-resilience spending in 2025. This reality reflects security teams' needs for increased cybersecurity maturity while simultaneously satisfying the C-Suite's demands for increased resilience and uptime. LevelBlue's full-featured suite of solutions, including MDR, AI-driven threat detection, incident response, offensive security, and strategic advisory, sets up organisations to shift from a reactive defense posture to proactive resilience at scale."

LevelBlue's acquisition of Trustwave follows its recent absorption of Aon's Cybersecurity and Intellectual Property Litigation consulting groups, Stroz Friedberg, and Elysium Digital. The company says that these strategic consolidations address a demand for more integrated and adaptive cybersecurity solutions, positioning LevelBlue as the largest independent, pure-play managed security services provider globally.

The company also states that it will continue to focus on strengthening partnerships, improving return on investment for clients, and developing new ways to address evolving cyber threats. Financial terms of the Trustwave acquisition were not disclosed.