WatchGuard

WatchGuard was initially established in 1996 under the name Seattle Software Labs, Inc. Its inaugural product was a network firewall known as the WatchGuard Security Management System, which included the WatchGuard Firebox, a "firewall in a box" security appliance, along with configuration and administration software. In 1997, the company rebranded itself as WatchGuard Technologies, Inc. The company was acquired in 2006 by Vector Capital and Francisco Partners. Vector Partners became the majority owner in 2022. In August 2007, Joe Wang took over as the company's permanent CEO, succeeding Coleman. In April 2015, Kohlsdorf passed the CEO mantle to Prakash Panjwani. It was announced that both Panjwani and Kohlsdorf were joining WatchGuard's board. In October, the company launched the WatchGuard Wi-Fi Cloud to expand its network security coverage to Wi-Fi networks. In July 2018, the company unveiled AuthPoint, an application designed to offer multi-factor authentication security for businesses. == Acquisitions ==

In June 2016, the company acquired HawkEye G, a threat-detection and response technology from Hexis Cyber Solutions, now part of KEYW Holding Corp. In January 2018, the company acquired Percipient Networks, a domain name system security service provider. Later, it was renamed to DNSWatch. In March 2020, WatchGuard announced an agreement to acquire Bilbao-based Panda Security, a provider of network endpoint security. The deal was finalized in June. == Products ==

The company develops security products and services for businesses. There are four product groups: Network Security, Endpoint Security, Secure Wi-Fi, and Multi-Factor Authentication. The Network Security devices are categorized as Unified Threat Management (UTM), where a single device provides multiple security features. The devices include WatchGuard Dimension, a network discovery tool that allows administrators to identify devices on the network, including mobile devices; and WatchGuard Cloud, giving the devices access to online threat intelligence. The Endpoint Security offering includes products and services that provide advanced endpoint security, endpoint antivirus, security operations, and DNS-level protection and content filtering. == References ==