Cybercrime detection company Netcraft Ltd. today announced that it has acquired Australian online brand protection provider FraudWatch International Pty. Ltd. for an undisclosed sum.

Founded in 2003, FraudWatch offers an always-available security operations center or SOC that protects businesses from brand threats such as financial loss, brand damage and online abuse. The company’s platform offers fully managed threat hunting, intelligence detection and takedowns of threats.

FraudWatch argues that digital fraud and brand abuse can significantly damage an organization’s reputation and consumer trust. With fraudulent behavior taking many forms, such as phishing, malware, brand impersonation and more, FraudWatch offers itself as a partner with an experienced team of expert analysts offering tailored brand protection solutions.

The company protects more than 4,000 brands against the dangers of online fraud, with its SOC comprising expert analysts dedicated to tracking and removing phishing and malware sites, trademark infringements and fake social media profiles and mobile apps. Notable customers include Optus Communications Pty. Ltd., Air New Zealand Ltd., Bank One Mauritius Ltd., Teachers Mutual Bank Ltd. and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd.

Through the acquisition, Netcraft and FraudWatch say, they will deliver high-quality, high-speed cybercrime detection and takedown. Netcraft also plans to enhance support and services by combining its existing relationships with hosting providers, domain registrars and social media platforms through the FraudWatch SOC alongside Netcraft’s application programming interface-based and commercial partnerships.

“This acquisition provides great value for both sets of customers who will benefit from the complementary time zones and comprehensive round-the-clock coverage from cyberthreats facing startups, well-known brands, large enterprises and governments across the world,” said Netcraft Chief Executive Ryan Woodley said ahead of the announcement. “By combining Netcraft’s focus on technology, machine learning and automation with FraudWatch’s dedicated team, we can deliver benefits of scale, deepen client relationships and ensure that organizations around the world can proactively disrupt cyberattacks.”

Coming into its acquisition, FraudWatch was privately held and is not known to have outside or venture capital funding.

Netcraft was previously in the news in July when it raised $100 million in new funding to drive growth, expand globally and accelerate its mission of detecting and disrupting cybercrime at scale to create a safer online experience. Spectrum Equity Management L.P. led the round.

Image: Netcraft