The IT Nerd

Quorum Cyber today announced it is a Security MSSP of the Year, Data Security & Compliance Trailblazer, and Security Changemaker award finalist in the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards. The company was honored among a global field of industry leaders that demonstrated success across the security landscape during the past twelve months. 

At the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards on April 28, 2025, Microsoft will celebrate finalists in nine award categories honoring partner trailblazers, solution innovators, customer and technology champions, and changemakers. This is the sixth year Microsoft is recognizing partners for their outstanding work in the security landscape. All finalists are members of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), an ecosystem of independent software vendors (ISVs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs) that have integrated their security products and services with Microsoft’s security technology. 

MISA was established to bring together Microsoft leaders, ISVs, and MSSPs to work together to defeat security threats and make the world a safer place. The industry veterans in MISA and Microsoft will vote to select the winners of the Microsoft Security Excellence Awards, providing an opportunity for colleagues to honor their peers for delivering exceptional work to our shared customers.

Quorum Cyber, a global cybersecurity specialist with offices in the UK, the US, and Canada, has set a new strategic direction by acquiring Kivu Consulting Inc – a leader in digital forensics, cyber incident response, business restoration, and ransom negotiations in the global insurance, legal, and government sectors. Kivu provides threat intelligence, threat hunting, and incident response services across the UK, North America, the Middle East, and other international markets. Quorum Cyber has appointed Paul Caiazzo as Chief Threat Officer to lead the Kivu sector of the business and joins the company’s executive team.

This strategic acquisition underscores Quorum Cyber’s global expansion strategy, solidifying its position as a leading Microsoft Security partner and its mission to become Microsoft Security’s most valued partner worldwide.

Acquiring Kivu expands Quorum Cyber’s capabilities by putting cyber threats and adversaries at the heart of its comprehensive global cybersecurity services – better addressing customers’ problems and the protection they need in an inhospitable and unpredictable digital environment. Leading this deeper capability in threat intelligence and incident response, Caiazzo will input research and thought leadership into strategic, tactical, and operational cybersecurity, and will be responsible for integrating the deep experience of the Kivu team with Quorum Cyber, accelerating its threat intelligence and incident response teams.

With Quorum Cyber’s wider offerings, this threat arm of the business will protect customers, before, during, and after any kind of cybersecurity incident. 

In conjunction with this move, Quorum Cyber has released its annual Global Cyber Risk Outlook Report 2025, a comprehensive analysis of the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape. This report offers crucial insights into the current cyber threats and anticipates emerging risks for 2025. Quorum Cyber will host a webinar on February 25th, 2025, featuring Caiazzo, to delve deeper into the report’s insights, offering actionable advice for organizations to enhance their cybersecurity posture in the face of evolving threats. Registrations for the webinar are open. 

As a cybersecurity engineer, entrepreneur, and strategist with over 27 years’ experience, Caiazzo brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the role, having previously developed cybersecurity businesses from the ground up. Prior to joining Quorum Cyber, he held senior positions for numerous technology companies from start-ups and scale-ups through to established enterprises such as Avertium, TruShield Security Solutions, Savvis Communications, and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in support of the US Department of Defense.

Quorum Cyber has a close and longstanding relationship with Microsoft, having been founded as a Microsoft-first security services provider and a member of the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA). Quorum Cyber holds three Microsoft Security specializations of Threat Protection, Cloud Security, and Information Protection and Governance.

Quorum Cyber – headquartered in the U.K., with offices across North America – today announced the acquisition of Kivu Consulting Inc., a leading global cybersecurity firm specializing in Incident Response.

The strategic move bolsters Quorum Cyber’s rapid global expansion, as it comes just months after it acquired Difenda, a North American company specializing in Microsoft Security Managed Services.

Founded in 2009, Kivu Consulting Inc, or ‘Kivu’, is a trusted partner in the global insurance, legal, and government sectors. The company is a leader in digital forensics, cyber incident response, business restoration, and ransom negotiations. Since its inception, Kivu has helped define the market for response, managed, and advisory services to protect organizations against compromised data, theft of trade secrets, and unauthorized access to data. 

Kivu holds established relationships in over 40 insurance and legal panels across the U.S. and the U.K. This transformative acquisition not only rapidly expands Quorum Cyber’s presence within these industries but also provides a robust foundation to strengthen its alliances and cements its status as a premier global threat management firm, renowned for its exceptional incident response capabilities. 

In addition, acquiring Kivu enables Quorum Cyber to deliver its market-leading threat management services from three operations centers in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada to its customers worldwide. 

Quorum Cyber’s back-to-back acquisitions of Kivu Consulting and Difenda underscore its aggressive growth strategy across North American and U.K. markets. Bolstered by ongoing support from investors, Charlesbank Capital Partners and Livingbridge, the two acquisitions equip Quorum Cyber with the resources to strategically expand its service offerings and customer reach. The integration of Kivu’s incident response expertise and connections, coupled with Difenda’s managed services capabilities, marks a significant step in Quorum Cyber’s mission of asserting its market presence globally.

Piper Sandler & Co. served as exclusive financial advisor to Kivu, and Mintz and Lowenstein Sandler served as legal advisors to Quorum Cyber.