AT&T’s mysterious MSSP spinoff could have upsides for its security consulting business
Telecom giant AT&T’s move to say adieu to a significant wing of its managed security services provider unit is essentially a bid to allow the team’s consulting services to grow, according to industry analysts.
The newly independent group, announced by AT&T last week, will become part of a new company co-owned by AT&T and venture capital firm WillJam. WillJam is the brainchild of Bob McCullen, a former executive chair of multiple cybersecurity service firms, including VikingCloud and GoSecure, and the founder of several other managed security companies, including Exault and Ambrion.
“Our direct focus remains on unlocking the power of our best-in-class connectivity with embedded security features that will allow our network to intelligently protect customers end-to-end,” according to Rick Welday, head of AT&T Enterprise Markets, in a news release. “We’re energized about this new business model and the opportunities and capabilities these network enhancements will bring to the market.”
The deal will see the new unit retain “select” security software products, operational security teams and security consulting resources, according to AT&T.
Beyond what was said in the announcement, AT&T has offered virtually no details about the new business, but sources say that the joint venture — codenamed “Knight” — will focus on allowing the security consulting team to grow more freely.
The company, according to Roger Entner, an analyst at Recon Analytics, has been selling a managed security suite for years, having adapted the technology from its acquisition of AlienVault in 2019 and rebranded it as “AT&T Cybersecurity.”
