Full Report
We're continuing to deliver on our promise to secure the 99% by acquiring Curricula: a story-based security awareness training platform.
Analysis Summary
# Industry News: Huntress Expands into Human Risk Management with Curricula Acquisition
## Summary
Managed security platform Huntress has announced the acquisition of Curricula, a story-based security awareness training (SAT) provider. This move integrates gamified eLearning and phishing simulation into the Huntress ecosystem to address the "human element" of cybersecurity for small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs).
## Key Details
- **Date:** July 19, 2022
- **Companies Involved:** Huntress (Acquirer), Curricula (Acquired)
- **Category:** M&A (Merger & Acquisition)
## The Story
Huntress, traditionally known for its managed endpoint detection and response (EDR) and threat hunting capabilities, is diversifying its portfolio by acquiring Curricula. Curricula differentiates itself in the crowded SAT market through high-quality, story-driven animation—featuring characters like "DeeDee"—to move away from the "check-the-box" compliance nature of traditional training.
The acquisition is a central component of Huntress’s "secure the 99%" strategy, which targets SMBs that are frequently overlooked by enterprise-grade security vendors. By incorporating phishing simulators, behavioral reports, and gamified content into their managed platform, Huntress aims to provide a holistic defense that covers both technical endpoints and human vulnerabilities.
## Business Impact
### For the Companies Involved
- **Huntress:** Transforms from a specialized detection tool into a multi-layered security suite. This allows for higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) and increased platform stickiness.
- **Curricula:** Gains access to the massive Huntress partner network of Managed Service Providers (MSPs), providing an immediate scale-up in market reach.
### For Competitors
- Puts pressure on SAT incumbents like KnowBe4 and Proofpoint, as Huntress can now bundle SAT with managed detection and response (MDR), offering a more consolidated "one-stop-shop" for MSPs.
### For Customers
- SMBs and their MSP partners gain a simplified procurement process. End users benefit from training that is designed to be engaging rather than punitive, potentially leading to better retention of security best practices.
### For the Market
- Signals a continued trend of consolidation in the cybersecurity industry, where "best-of-breed" point solutions are being swallowed by broader platforms to reduce "vendor fatigue" for small IT teams.
## Technical Implications
The primary technical focus will be the integration of Curricula’s eLearning tools into the **Huntress Managed Security Platform** dashboard. This will likely involve syncing tenant data so MSPs can manage endpoint alerts and security training compliance from a single pane of glass.
## Strategic Analysis
- **Market Positioning:** Huntress is positioning itself as the "Security Operating System" for the SMB market.
- **Competitive Advantage:** While many SAT platforms are boring or academic, Curricula’s focus on storytelling and "fun" content lowers the barrier to entry for non-technical employees, which is the primary demographic of the "99%."
- **Challenges:** Successfully integrating a content-heavy company (Curricula) into a software/service-heavy company (Huntress) requires balancing creative production with technical engineering.
## Industry Reactions
- **Analyst Opinion:** Analysts view this as a savvy move to capture "Human Risk Management" spend, a budget line item that is increasingly mandated by cyber insurance providers.
- **Market Response:** The MSP community has generally reacted positively to the prospect of managing SAT through the familiar Huntress interface.
## Future Outlook
- Expect Huntress to further integrate telemetry between the two products—for example, automatically triggering specific training modules for an employee whose machine was recently flagged for a malware infection.
- Watch for Huntress to continue acquiring or building tools that address other gaps in the SMB stack, such as identity protection or vulnerability management.
## For Security Professionals
Practitioners should note that Huntress is moving toward a "Behavioral Defense" model. For those managing SMB environments, this acquisition provides a tool to address the root cause of many breaches (phishing and social engineering) using the same vendor they trust for breach detection.