Core Insights - Norton Small Business has expanded its offerings to include Dark Web Monitoring and Social Media Monitoring features to help protect small businesses from data breaches and account takeovers as incidents surge [1][2][3] Industry Trends - Data breaches impacting businesses have surged by 20% in the last quarter, with overall breach attacks on small businesses increasing by over 50% in 2025 [2] - Attackers are increasingly purchasing stolen information on the Dark Web and impersonating vendors, leading to significant financial and reputational damage for small businesses lacking adequate protection [2] Company Developments - Norton has introduced Enhanced Dark Web Monitoring that continuously scans for compromised business data, including specific fields like Company Name and Tax ID number, and alerts business owners upon detection [3] - The new Social Media Monitoring feature provides early warnings of account takeover attempts and scams on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, addressing the rise in financial scams reported in the Q2 Gen threat report [4] - Dark Web Monitoring is available in Norton Small Business Standard and Premium plans across multiple regions, while Social Media Monitoring is offered in the Premium plan in the US and UK [5]

Core Points - Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. announced that shareholders approved all six proposals at the 2025 Annual General Meeting, with approximately 85.8 million shares voted, representing about 80% of the outstanding shares [1] - The company expressed gratitude to shareholders for their support and confidence in Check Point and its employees [2] Company Overview - Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. is a leading provider of cyber security solutions, protecting over 100,000 organizations globally with AI-powered technologies [3] - The company's Infinity Platform employs a hybrid mesh network architecture with SASE at its core, unifying management across on-premises, cloud, and workspace environments, offering flexibility, simplicity, and scalability for enterprises and service providers [3]

Core Viewpoint - Check Point Software Technologies has introduced the Enterprise Browser, a feature designed to enhance security for unmanaged devices while maintaining compliance and productivity for organizations [1][4]. Group 1: Product Overview - The Enterprise Browser extends Zero Trust security to unmanaged devices, including contractors and BYOD users, providing visibility and compliance-ready data protection without the need for persistent agents [1][3]. - Built on Chromium, the Enterprise Browser creates an isolated workspace that enforces enterprise-grade controls during each session and erases sensitive data upon closure [3][9]. Group 2: Market Context - As hybrid workforces and third-party ecosystems expand, unmanaged devices have emerged as significant security vulnerabilities, leading to risks such as data leakage and compliance gaps [2]. - Traditional security measures, like VPN access and hardware provisioning, are often costly and inefficient, complicating compliance with regulations like HIPAA, GDPR, and NIS2 [2]. Group 3: Key Features and Benefits - The Enterprise Browser allows organizations to secure devices they do not own, enabling flexible work arrangements without compromising critical systems or sensitive data [7]. - Key capabilities include data isolation, integrated data loss prevention, agentless posture checks, complete session visibility, and seamless integration with Harmony SASE [9]. - The solution supports compliance with major regulations and reduces risks associated with insider threats and compliance failures, while also minimizing IT overhead [9].

We often turn to you to talk about the tech trade. What is your view of the tech trade this morning on the back of that Alphabet ruling and the idea that both Alphabet and Apple are winners in this situation where a lot of people were worried about a worst case scenario where that $20 billion deal between the two could be broken up. Short-term relief for Apple and Alphabet.At the end of the day, they have genuine competition over the next 3 to 5 years because of the transition to software 2.0%, know which m ...

Core Insights - Check Point Software Technologies has been recognized as a Leader in the 2025 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Hybrid Mesh Firewalls, highlighting its execution and completeness of vision in delivering high-performance network security across various environments [1][3][4] Group 1: Company Recognition and Offerings - The recognition by Gartner reflects Check Point's advancements in hybrid mesh network security, which provides AI-powered real-time threat prevention and unified management for distributed networks [2][4] - Check Point's Hybrid Mesh Network Security is powered by Infinity ThreatCloud AI, achieving a 99.9% block rate against cyber attacks through real-time intelligence from millions of endpoints and over 150,000 networks [6] - The company emphasizes its open platform approach, featuring over 250 integrations that allow for customizable, multi-vendor security stacks, enhancing collaboration and eliminating gaps caused by siloed systems [6] Group 2: Customer Experience and Feedback - Customers, such as the Denver Broncos, have praised Check Point for providing a consolidated security view, allowing teams to monitor their entire attack surface without switching between different systems, thus improving operational efficiency [4] - The integration of Check Point's various security solutions, including Quantum Firewalls and CloudGuard, enables organizations to effectively manage security across on-premises, cloud, and SASE environments [4] Group 3: Industry Context - The current landscape of hyperconnected and distributed enterprise networks has expanded the attack surface, making it increasingly challenging for security teams to manage and close security gaps [2] - Check Point's solutions are designed to address these challenges by delivering consistent zero trust security and centralized management, which are critical for modern security operations [2][6]

Core Viewpoint - HUB Cyber Security Ltd. has secured up to $20 million in financing through a subordinated convertible note private placement, demonstrating institutional confidence in its AI-native Secured Data Fabric (SDF) platform and positioning the company for transformative enterprise deals [1][3][4] Financing Details - The financing is structured as subordinated convertible notes with a 4.0% annual interest rate, maturing in August 2027, and is expected to yield approximately $20 million in gross proceeds before expenses [2][3] Strategic Implications - The capital raised will be utilized to reduce debt, accelerate U.S. operations, and enhance HUB's AI-powered enterprise intelligence and crypto infrastructure capabilities, enabling the company to scale operations and pursue significant enterprise deals [1][3][4] Product Offering - HUB's SDF platform serves as an institutional control layer for regulated data, offering a more secure and cost-effective solution compared to traditional data lake systems, achieving a 50% reduction in compliance costs and faster digital onboarding [4][5] Market Demand - There is increasing demand for HUB's AI-powered SDF product across various industries, particularly in crypto infrastructure, which requires compliant and programmable data management solutions [5][6] Geographic Expansion - HUB operates in six countries and has invested approximately $200 million into its platform, with plans for accelerated expansion in North America, driven by strong interest from U.S. and Canadian institutions [6]

Market Shift & AI in Cybersecurity - Cybersecurity industry is experiencing a fundamental market shift due to the rise of AI [2][3] - Companies are heavily investing in AI, creating a need for robust security measures to protect AI agents and infrastructure [3][4][5][6] - Securing AI agents is becoming a critical area in cybersecurity, requiring solutions to prevent rogue agents and potential attacks [7] - Palo Alto Networks aims to be at the forefront of securing AI, potentially through acquisitions like Cyber Arc to address identity and security concerns [7][8] Platformization Strategy - Palo Alto Networks shifted its business model two years ago to offer a comprehensive platform approach to cybersecurity [9][10][11] - The company aims to be the "Salesforce/Workday/ServiceNow" of cybersecurity, consolidating solutions and providing a unified platform [10] - This platformization strategy has seen early success, with a record number of 150 platformizations in Q4 [12] - Palo Alto Networks closed its largest deal to date, with a customer spending $50 million annually, indicating a shift away from fragmented security solutions [12][13] - The company targets 3,500 platformizations in the next 5 years, indicating significant growth potential [15] Cybersecurity Threats & Pace - Breaches are happening faster, with the time from attack to data exfiltration reduced to 25 minutes, requiring faster security solutions [20] - Many customers have "cybersecurity technical debt" and need to replace outdated infrastructure [21] - AI can be more beneficial to attackers, as they only need to be right once, while defenders need to be right 100% of the time [22] - Hijacked AI agents, such as self-driving cars or infrastructure management systems, pose significant risks [23][24] Leadership Transition - Palo Alto Networks' founder and CTO is retiring but will remain an advisor to the company [16][17] - Lee Clarage, an early member of the company, will take over as CTO to continue the company's vision [18]

Core Insights - 93% of UK businesses have experienced a business-critical cyber incident, significantly higher than the global average of 86% [2][3] - UK organizations are 21% less likely to have a dedicated recovery environment and 11% less likely to have tested their recovery plans recently compared to other countries [3][6] - The concept of Minimum Viability Company (MVC) is highlighted as essential for quick business resumption post-cyberattack, yet many UK businesses face challenges in achieving this [4][5] Cyber Incident Statistics - Only 7% of UK businesses report never having experienced a business-critical incident, while 57% of incidents occurred in the last 18 months [2] - Nearly two-thirds of UK businesses have taken foundational steps towards resilience, with 65% maintaining an inventory of critical systems and 61% creating defined incident response processes [6] Barriers to Recovery - The complexity of existing systems and applications is cited as the biggest challenge for 52% of UK businesses in achieving MVC [5] - 47% of respondents struggle to align recovery plans with changing business needs, and 30% find it difficult to separate core systems from broader operations [5] Organizational Readiness - Only 36% of UK organizations strongly believe in prioritizing the MVC approach, indicating a gap in commitment to recovery strategies [7] - The evolving threat landscape has made business recovery a key concern at the board level, highlighting the need for executive leadership to prioritize recovery efforts [8]

Financial Performance - Shares are up approximately 7% driven by the higher guide [1] - Earnings per share reached 95 cents, exceeding estimates [1] - Q1 earnings per share are guided between 88 cents and 90 cents, surpassing street expectations [1] - Q1 revenue guide is also higher than what the street anticipated [1] Key Metrics - Remaining purchase obligation (RPO) is a key metric for cybersecurity software companies, indicating revenue backlog [2] - The company is guiding between 154 billion and 155 billion for RPO, exceeding consensus [2] Market Dynamics - The report is viewed as positive overall [2] - Many long-only funds hold this name, unlike competitors Checkpoint and Fortnite, which experienced declines after less impressive guides [3]

Core Insights - Gen Digital Inc. (GEN) reported strong first-quarter fiscal 2026 results, with both revenues and earnings exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate [1][9] - Non-GAAP earnings were 64 cents per share, surpassing the estimate by 6.7% and showing a year-over-year increase of 20.8% [1][9] - Non-GAAP revenues rose 30.3% year over year, driven by heightened demand for AI-driven cyber safety solutions [2][9] Financial Performance - Gen Digital's Cyber Safety revenues reached $869 million, up 11.4% year over year, while Trust-Based Solutions segment revenues surged 109.7% to $388 million [5] - Direct Customer revenues increased 25.4% to $1.07 billion, and Partner revenues improved 67.3% to $189 million [5] - Quarterly bookings advanced 31.7% year over year to $1.202 billion, with an average direct customer count rising to 40.6 million [6] Operating Metrics - Non-GAAP gross profit grew 26.9% year over year to $1.06 billion, although gross margin contracted by 220 basis points to 84.1% [7] - Non-GAAP operating income totaled $650 million, reflecting a 15% year-over-year increase, with an operating margin of 52% [8] Cash Flow and Balance Sheet - The company ended the quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $828 million, down from $1.006 billion in the previous quarter [10] - Long-term debt increased to $8.963 billion from $8.335 billion year over year [10] - Operating and free cash flows generated in the quarter were $409 million and $405 million, respectively [10] Guidance and Outlook - For Q2 fiscal 2026, Gen Digital anticipates revenues between $1.18 billion and $1.21 billion, with non-GAAP earnings projected between 60 cents and 62 cents [12] - For the full fiscal 2026, the revenue outlook has been raised to a range of $4.8 billion to $4.9 billion, with EPS guidance adjusted to between $2.49 and $2.56 [13]