Google Cloud Absorbs Alphabet Cyber-Security Firm Chronicle

Alphabet announced on Thursday that its year-old cyber-security company, Chronicle, would be absorbed by its Google Cloud division because customers have been seeking an integrated offering.

Chronicle Chief Executive Stephen Gillett said in a blog post that the malware analysis and security threat investigation tools his unit was pitching to large corporations were complementary to the security tools offered by Google's cloud computing business.

"Customers from each of our organisations have asked about using these solutions together, and combining our efforts will enable this," he wrote. "We will be joining Google Cloud soon and expect the integration to be completed sometime this fall. We will work on accelerated product integrations and roadmaps immediately," he added.

Separately, Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, commented on the move in a blog post, "Today, we're excited to announce that Chronicle, Alphabet's enterprise security company born in the X moonshot factory, is joining Google Cloud. This union will create a powerful and comprehensive security portfolio that will benefit all of our customers."

Kurian added, "Chronicle's products and engineering team complement what Google Cloud offers. Chronicle's VirusTotal malware intelligence services will be a powerful addition to the pool of threat data informing Google Cloud offerings, and will continue to support applications running on our platforms."

Chronicle launched in January 2018 and had grown to more than 100 employees.

Based at Alphabet's Mountain View, California, headquarters, Chronicle was the third business spun out of the company's "X" research lab and into the holding company - a process it calls "graduating." It follows healthcare unit Verily and self-driving vehicle company Waymo.

Written with inputs from Reuters