In a significant move within the cybersecurity industry, Option3, a private equity specialist with roots in national security, has announced the acquisition of Onclave Networks by its cybersecurity platform, ENIGMA. This acquisition strengthens ENIGMA’s focus on Zero Trust, a security framework rapidly gaining traction as traditional tools lose efficacy in the face of evolving threats.

Onclave Networks, known for its innovative application of Zero Trust principles, leverages proven methods originally developed by the U.S. Department of Defense. These methods significantly reduce security breaches, attack surfaces, and operational costs while simplifying network complexity. With the integration of Onclave, ENIGMA aims to secure devices, services, and individuals across a broad spectrum of environments, extending its capabilities into sectors that are traditionally difficult to protect.

Manish Thakur, Managing Partner at Option3, emphasized the importance of this acquisition, stating, “With this acquisition, Onclave becomes the foundation for the ENIGMA Zero Trust platform, with technology that is now also being adopted by customers such as the Defense Health Agency, White House Communications Agency, and NATO.” Thakur highlighted Onclave’s recent achievement of receiving the first-ever ‘Authority to Operate’ for Zero Trust compliance from a federal agency, underlining the platform’s credibility in a crowded market.

Jim Taylor, CEO of Onclave Networks, expressed enthusiasm about the integration into ENIGMA, noting, “We are extremely excited to be a foundational part of the ENIGMA platform. With Onclave’s technology, ENIGMA will address some of the biggest challenges facing Zero Trust, particularly extending it to older cyber-physical systems, Internet of Things (IoT), Operational Technology (OT), and other industrial control systems.”

The concept of Zero Trust has surged in importance following President Joe Biden’s 2021 mandate requiring all federal agencies to adopt this security approach. Despite its growing prominence, the implementation of Zero Trust has posed significant challenges. ENIGMA seeks to address these challenges by providing a suite of purpose-built Zero Trust solutions, which have been rigorously tested by some of the world’s most demanding users. The platform has ambitious deployment plans, particularly within the U.S. hospital system and the global automotive sector.

ENIGMA, launched in August 2021, is an American cybersecurity platform dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Zero Trust. Built on technologies from Option3’s portfolio, ENIGMA’s foundational acquisition of Onclave Networks represents a critical step in this mission. Onclave’s Zero Trust solutions, validated by the U.S. government, are being implemented by key agencies, including the White House Communications Agency, Defense Health Agency, and NATO.

With a specialized focus on securing Operational Technology and IoT/IIoT networks, ENIGMA is poised to play a pivotal role in the future of cybersecurity. As large-scale deployments loom, particularly in critical infrastructure sectors, ENIGMA’s Zero Trust capabilities are expected to set new benchmarks in securing vulnerable endpoints from edge to cloud.

  cybersecurity, ENIGMA, federal agency compliance, IoT security, Jim Taylor, Manish Thakur, Onclave Networks, Operational Technology, Option3, U.S. Department of Defense, Zero Trust