Cybersecurity leader Proofpoint, Inc. has announced its acquisition of Acuvity, a pioneering firm in AI enterprise security and governance, in a strategic move to address emerging digital threats. The acquisition, confirmed on February 12, 2026, aims to fortify Proofpoint's platform by integrating AI-native visibility and runtime protection for modern workflows. This positions the company to secure the increasingly common agentic workspace, where humans and AI agents collaborate on critical business tasks.
Addressing New Risks in the AI Era
The rapid integration of generative AI is transforming enterprise operations, with organizations deploying AI copilots and autonomous agents across various functions. While these technologies drive unprecedented productivity, they also introduce significant new risks to the corporate environment. These challenges include shadow AI, sensitive data exposure, intellectual property loss, and emerging AI-specific attacks like prompt injection and model manipulation.
Securing the Agentic Workspace
With this acquisition, Proofpoint is expanding its security platform to deliver comprehensive governance and control across the agentic workspace. Acuvity’s AI-native capabilities will enable enterprises to adopt generative AI confidently without compromising security or compliance. Ryan Kalember, Chief Strategy Officer at Proofpoint, emphasized that securing this new work model requires a deep understanding of both human intent and agentic behavior in real time.
The combined technologies will allow organizations to manage risk effectively as AI tools become more prevalent. By securing humans, defending data, and governing AI through a unified platform, Proofpoint aims to provide end-to-end protection for this evolving ecosystem. This integrated approach is designed to give businesses the visibility and control needed to manage the complex interactions between employees and AI agents.
A Unified Platform for People, Data, and AI
Acuvity introduces new control points and detection models specifically built for the AI era, offering visibility across a wide range of AI usage. Its platform monitors endpoints, web browsers, and emerging AI infrastructure, including locally installed tools. This allows organizations to govern how users and systems interact with external AI services while also protecting custom AI models deployed within the enterprise.
The integration of Acuvity’s capabilities establishes Proofpoint as the first unified platform to comprehensively secure every dimension of the agentic workspace. This move strengthens its portfolio, which now spans collaboration security, data security, and AI security. The platform is designed to protect sensitive information and ensure it is only accessible to authorized people and AI systems.
Strategic Vision for an AI-Accelerated World
Satyam Sinha, co-founder and CEO of Acuvity, noted that enterprises are often overwhelmed by the pace of AI adoption and the complexity of securing it. He explained that as intelligence becomes embedded in interactions and autonomous agents, a new security approach is required. This approach must govern how AI thinks, acts, and learns in real time to be effective against modern threats.
The acquisition is expected to significantly enhance Proofpoint’s ability to secure how people and AI agents work, communicate, and interact with data. By providing a robust framework for AI governance, the company is enabling organizations to embrace innovation securely. This strategic enhancement empowers businesses to adopt advanced AI tools with the confidence that their digital assets remain protected.
In conclusion, Proofpoint's acquisition of Acuvity represents a significant development in the cybersecurity industry, directly addressing the complex security challenges of an AI-driven future. The move solidifies Proofpoint's position as a leader in protecting the integrated human-AI work environment. It provides a clear path for enterprises to harness the power of artificial intelligence without sacrificing security, compliance, or trust in their operations.