CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD) announced on Monday that it will launch the third annual Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator alongside Amazon Web Services and Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) through its Inception program. The accelerator accepts applications through Nov. 15, with the eight-week program scheduled to run from Jan. 5 through March 3. This marks the first time the program will consider startups from around the world, a change from previous years when participation was more limited. Don't Miss: Buffett's Secret ...

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Nov. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Netskope (NASDAQ: NTSK), a leader in modern security and networking for the cloud and AI era, today announced that it will release financial results for its third quarter fiscal 2026 ended October 31, 2025, after the market closes on Thursday, December 11, 2025. Management will host a live conference call that day at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET to discuss the company’s financial results. A live webcast of the conference call and related materials can be acc ...

AI Cloud Protect safeguards AI models, workloads, and agentic AI applications from the latest cyber threatsREDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP), a pioneer and global leader of cyber security solutions, today announced it is working with NVIDIA to deliver an integrated security solution built for AI factories. AI Cloud Protect is now available for on-premises enterprise deployments to secure AI model development, agentic AI applications ...

Core Insights - Varonis Systems, Inc. has launched AI identity protection for Salesforce Agentforce, enhancing visibility and control over data accessed by AI agents [1][2] - The new features allow organizations to assess and manage AI agent risks while ensuring the security of sensitive data [1][2] Product Features - The capabilities include automatic discovery and cataloging of AI agents, providing a unified view of data sensitivity, permissions, and activity [9] - Varonis enables organizations to enforce least privilege access by analyzing prompts and responses for sensitive data exposure and policy violations [9] Market Position - Varonis is recognized as a leader in data security, focusing on protecting data across various environments including SaaS, IaaS, and hybrid cloud [6][7] - The company offers a range of security solutions such as data security posture management, data classification, and identity protection [7]

Core Insights - Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is enhancing its platform with the introduction of Prisma AIRS, an AI runtime security product aimed at protecting AI applications, models, and data as enterprises increasingly adopt AI tools [1][10] - The company anticipates new attack surfaces emerging from the use of generative AI, necessitating solutions like Prisma AIRS to provide visibility, data loss prevention, and compliance safeguards [2][4] Company Performance - In Q4 of fiscal 2025, Palo Alto Networks reported AI-related Annual Recurring Revenues (ARR) of $545 million, which is 2.5 times higher than the same quarter last year [3][10] - The company aims to achieve a long-term goal of $15 billion in ARR by fiscal 2030, with Prisma AIRS expected to play a crucial role in this strategy [5][10] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Palo Alto Networks' total revenues in fiscal 2026 is $10.43 billion, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 13.1% [5] Competitive Landscape - Competitors such as CrowdStrike and Zscaler are also expanding their platforms and innovating with AI, with CrowdStrike reporting $4.66 billion in ARR, a 20% year-over-year growth, and Zscaler reporting $2.9 billion in ARR, reflecting 23% year-over-year growth [6][7] Valuation and Estimates - Palo Alto Networks trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 12.71X, slightly below the industry's average of 13.06X [12] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal 2026 and 2027 earnings indicates year-over-year growth of 13.2% and 13.4%, respectively, with upward revisions in estimates over the past 30 to 60 days [15]

Core Insights - Nametag has introduced Nametag Signa™ to enhance AI security by ensuring that actions performed by AI agents are authorized by verified humans [1][3][6] Group 1: AI Security Challenges - As AI agents gain more autonomy, it is crucial for enterprise IT and security teams to identify who is behind AI actions, such as accessing confidential information or altering payment instructions [2][5] - A global survey by Okta in August 2025 revealed that while 91% of organizations use AI agents, only 10% have mature security strategies in place [5] Group 2: Nametag Signa™ Features - Nametag Signa introduces the Verified Human Signature, providing auditable proof that an AI action was approved by a verified individual through cryptographically-attested identity verification [3][4] - The solution integrates with Okta's Deepfake Defense™ identity verification engine to ensure that AI actions are linked to a verified human signature, creating a chain of trust [4][6] Group 3: Industry Implications - The introduction of Nametag Signa marks a significant advancement in AI security, allowing organizations to balance the efficiency of AI agents with the need to prevent breaches [7] - The collaboration between Nametag and Okta aims to facilitate the secure adoption of AI across enterprises, addressing critical governance needs in the evolving AI landscape [7][10]

Core Viewpoint - Netskope's IPO signifies the maturation of the cloud-native security and SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) sector, driven by its first-mover advantage in SASE architecture and AI-powered threat defense and data protection capabilities [3][4]. Group 1: Company Overview - Netskope is positioned as a "hidden champion" in the cloud security field, focusing on the integration of various security functions into a unified cloud-native platform, which simplifies security management for enterprises [6][5]. - The company has a strong customer base, with 72% of clients purchasing three or more products, indicating high customer retention and cross-selling potential [9]. Group 2: Financial Performance - Netskope achieved a 31% year-over-year revenue growth in the first half of fiscal year 2025, demonstrating strong business resilience [10]. - The company's Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) has surpassed $700 million, indicating a robust subscription-based revenue model [11]. - Despite ongoing losses, Netskope's net loss narrowed to approximately $150 million in the first half of 2025, reflecting improvements in financial health as the company scales [13]. Group 3: Market Position and Challenges - Netskope faces significant competition in the cloud security space from established players like Palo Alto Networks and emerging companies like Zscaler and CrowdStrike, all of which are actively pursuing SASE and AI security solutions [18]. - The company's latest valuation target is $6.5 billion, with a price-to-sales ratio of 9, which is notably higher than the industry average, indicating potential volatility if future performance does not meet market expectations [15]. - Netskope must navigate three critical challenges: valuation bubble concerns, achieving profitability, and intense competition from larger firms [14][18].

Core Viewpoint - Check Point Software Technologies has announced the acquisition of Lakera, aiming to establish a comprehensive AI-native security platform that protects the entire lifecycle of AI applications, thereby enhancing cybersecurity for enterprises as they adopt AI technologies [2][3][4]. Company Overview - Check Point Software Technologies is a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, safeguarding over 100,000 organizations worldwide through its AI-powered security offerings [8]. - Lakera, founded by experts from Google and Meta, specializes in AI-native security for Agentic AI applications and operates major R&D centers in Zurich and San Francisco [6][11]. Acquisition Details - The acquisition of Lakera is expected to close in Q4 2025, subject to customary closing conditions, and will form the foundation of Check Point's Global Center of Excellence for AI Security [7]. - This strategic move is designed to set a new standard in cybersecurity, enabling Check Point to deliver an end-to-end AI security stack [2][4]. AI Security Landscape - The integration of Lakera's capabilities will allow Check Point to enhance its existing security measures, including GenAI Protect and advanced data loss prevention, to cover the full lifecycle of AI, including models, agents, and data [4][5]. - The rise of AI technologies introduces new attack surfaces, necessitating real-time AI-native security solutions to protect against risks such as data exposure and model manipulation [3][4]. Lakera's Unique Offerings - Lakera's platform provides real-time runtime protection and continuous intelligence, adapting to emerging AI threats with a detection rate above 98% and low latency [10]. - The platform is designed to secure large language models (LLMs), generative AI, and agents, ensuring enterprises can innovate confidently without compromising security [10][11].

Summary of Zscaler (ZS) 2025 Conference Call Company Overview - **Company**: Zscaler (ZS) - **Event**: Citi's Global TMT Conference - **Date**: September 04, 2025 Key Points Financial Performance - Zscaler achieved a significant milestone by crossing **$3 billion** in Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR), becoming one of only two pure-play SaaS security companies to do so [5][6] - The company reported **22% ARR growth**, **32% billings growth**, and **27% cash flow growth** for the fourth fiscal quarter [5][6] - The guidance for fiscal 2026 is set at **22% to 23% growth**, which includes the recent acquisition of Red Canary contributing approximately **$95 million** or **2.5%** to growth [18][19] Shift in Metrics - Zscaler has shifted its growth metric focus from billings to ARR, aligning management compensation with ARR growth rather than billings [12][13] - The new definition of ARR reflects the next twelve months of revenue, which is more aligned with revenue recognition practices [14][16] - The company reported a **114% net retention rate** for Q4 but does not intend to use this metric going forward, emphasizing ARR growth as a more representative metric [27] Market Dynamics - The market for Zscaler's services is still considered to be in early stages, with significant opportunities for growth in the zero trust security space [34][42] - Zscaler has expanded its offerings from secure web gateways to a comprehensive zero trust architecture, which includes zero trust for users, branches, and cloud workloads [35][40] - The company has captured **45%** of the Fortune 500 companies, indicating substantial upsell opportunities [42] Data Security and AI Integration - Zscaler's data security business is projected to reach **$400 million** in ARR, with a focus on inline cloud data loss prevention (DLP) [48] - The acquisition of Red Canary aims to enhance Zscaler's capabilities in AI-driven security operations, providing managed services and technology solutions [66][68] - Zscaler's approach to data security is evolving to include data security posture management (DSPM) and endpoint DLP, creating a comprehensive solution for customers [54][56] ZFlex Initiative - ZFlex, introduced recently, generated over **$100 million** in bookings in Q4 and is designed to facilitate customer flexibility in consuming Zscaler's modules [75][76] - The initiative aims to reduce friction in the buying process and support ARR growth, although it is not a consumption-oriented model [80] Capital Allocation and M&A Strategy - Zscaler maintains a focus on innovation and efficient financial models, continuing to invest in engineering and product development [84][85] - The company is selective in its M&A strategy, seeking disruptive technologies that can enhance its platform rather than acquiring for revenue [85][87] Additional Insights - The competitive landscape is evolving, with Zscaler positioned to lead in the AI SecOps movement due to its extensive data capabilities and innovative architecture [71][72] - The company emphasizes the importance of understanding customer needs and providing comprehensive solutions rather than relying on traditional metrics like customer count [24][25] This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the Zscaler conference call, highlighting the company's financial performance, strategic shifts, market opportunities, and future growth prospects.

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q4 2025 was $719 million, representing a 21% year-over-year growth and exceeding guidance [19] - Annual recurring revenue (ARR) surpassed $3 billion, marking a 22% year-over-year increase [19][6] - Operating margin reached 22.1%, a record high, with a free cash flow margin of 24% [21][19] - Gross margin was 79.3%, slightly lower than the historical target of 80% due to a one-time deployment [21] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - AI Security, Zero Trust Everywhere, and Data Security Everywhere collectively surpassed $1 billion in ARR in Q4 [6] - SecOps ARR grew over 85% year-over-year, while ZDX Advanced Plus Queue bookings increased by 58% year-over-year [10] - Data Security Everywhere ARR grew to approximately $425 million, with significant deal wins [16] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Americas accounted for 55% of revenue, EMEA for 29%, and APJ for 16% [20] - The company serves nearly 40% of the Global 2000 and over 45% of Fortune 500 companies [19][5] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focusing on three growth vectors: AI Security, Zero Trust Everywhere, and Data Security Everywhere [6] - The ZFlex program is being utilized to facilitate strategic multi-year deals and increase module adoption [17] - The company aims to replace legacy solutions in various sectors, including finance, healthcare, and retail [12] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the demand for their solutions, particularly in AI and Zero Trust security [5] - The company anticipates a stable macro environment for fiscal 2026, with a focus on ARR as the primary growth metric [24][72] - Management expects to continue strong growth in AI Security and Zero Trust solutions, with significant upsell opportunities [67] Other Important Information - The acquisition of Red Canary is expected to contribute approximately $95 million to ARR in fiscal 2026 [23] - The company ended Q4 with $3.6 billion in cash and short-term investments [23] Q&A Session Summary Question: How is SASE replacing firewall appliances? - Management indicated that Zero Trust architecture is essential, and firewall appliances are being phased out, starting with branch firewalls [29] Question: How will ZFlex be utilized by the sales force? - ZFlex is designed to provide flexibility in module adoption, allowing for larger and better deals, and is being expanded to a broader customer base [33] Question: What does a Zero Trust Everywhere customer look like? - A Zero Trust Everywhere customer typically adopts multiple modules, leading to significant increases in ARR [36] Question: What is the focus of AI security product adoption? - Customers are primarily interested in securing both public and private AI applications, with a growing focus on agent-to-agent communication [41] Question: What is the expected growth trajectory for net new ARR? - Management is guiding for high single-digit net new ARR growth in fiscal 2026 on an organic basis [46] Question: How is the data security portfolio performing? - Data security solutions are often purchased alongside Zero Trust solutions, with significant growth potential as customers consolidate their security products [49] Question: What is the impact of ZFlex on financial metrics? - ZFlex is applicable to both new and existing customers, increasing potential deal sizes without fundamentally changing the financial model [53]