SecurityWeek reported 37 cybersecurity M&A deals in October 2026. Absolute Security acquired FirmGuard, the UEFI BIOS firmware security and management business of Phoenix Technologies, and plans to integrate FirmGuard with its firmware-embedded Absolute Persistence technology, adding continuous firmware integrity monitoring. Belgian application security firm Aikido Security acquired OutKept and Cyberly to launch Noon, a workforce security business; OutKept provides phishing simulations, while Cyberly develops AI-powered attack simulations and employee AI usage tracking tools. Anthropic agreed to acquire Opaque Systems, a confidential AI company that originated from UC Berkeley research, describing the deal as licensing Opaque's technology and hiring some of its engineers, including CEO Aaron Fulkerson and CTO Rishabh Poddar. Cohere signed a letter of intent to acquire AISLE, a startup focused on finding and patching vulnerabilities in critical software; AISLE's approximately 50 employees will join Cohere, which is establishing a cybersecurity unit called Cohere Cyber. Hex-Rays agreed to acquire HexAI, an Israeli startup founded in 2025. IonQ agreed to acquire zero trust security firm Elisity in an all-stock deal valued at up to $1.3 billion. Thoma Bravo-owned Proofpoint agreed to acquire data security company Varonis for roughly $6.3 billion in cash.