RSA Conference invests $50 million in cybersecurity startups. To celebrate the 20th anniversary of its Innovation Sandbox contest, the RSA Conference is allocating $50 million to support the top ten finalists, each receiving a $5 million uncapped Simple Agreement for Future Equity (SAFE) investment from Crosspoint Capital Partners. This funding aims to provide immediate capital to startups without limiting their future valuation, enhancing their ability to attract customers and investors. Past participants have collectively raised over $16.4 billion, and the competition typically sees over 150 applicants annually. Additionally, a new “Founders Circle” program will offer mentorship and exposure to previous finalists, further bolstering the cybersecurity community’s growth and innovation.

Wiz announces acquisition of Dazz Security for $450 million. This strategic acquisition aims to enhance Wiz’s Cloud Native Application Protection Platform (CNAPP) by integrating Dazz’s advanced Application Security Posture Management (ASPM) technology. The deal will enable organizations to better manage application risks by correlating data and pinpointing vulnerabilities, allowing engineers to resolve issues directly in the code. Wiz’s CEO, Assaf Rappaport, expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting the shared vision for cybersecurity innovation that brought him and Dazz’s CEO, Merav Bahat, together again. The integration is expected to streamline collaboration between security and engineering teams, improving the efficiency of risk management and remediation processes across the software development lifecycle.

Record cyber incidents threaten UK’s drinking water supplies. A surge in cyber incidents affecting Britain’s critical drinking water infrastructure has been reported this year, with at least six incidents disclosed under the NIS Regulations, a significant increase from previous years. The nature of these incidents remains unclear, potentially involving both operational failures and cyberattacks. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has noted a 50% rise in nationally significant incidents compared to last year. In response to growing concerns, the UK government is considering new legislation that would enhance transparency requirements for critical infrastructure providers, potentially reducing the incident reporting window from three days to 24 hours. This move aims to improve public awareness and confidence in the security of essential services amidst rising cyber threats.