Cybersecurity M&A activity slowed slightly in August as the summer months took hold, but several notable deals still underscored key industry priorities. One of the largest cybersecurity-related acquisitions of 2026 saw Visa announce the acquisition of fraud prevention firm BioCatch for $2.4bn.

Meanwhile, Fortinet moved to strengthen its AI security portfolio through the acquisition of Virtue AI, while open-source package and environment manager Anaconda acquired AI security and compliance specialist Enkrypt AI. These deals highlight organizations’ desire to seek greater visibility and control over risks associated with enterprise AI deployments.

AXA XL also agreed to take full ownership of cyber consultancy S-RM, highlighting continued investment in fraud prevention, AI security and cyber risk services.

Here is Infosecurity’s cybersecurity M&A roundup for August 2026.

Visa Targets AI-Driven Fraud With $2.4bn BioCatch Deal

On August 3, digital payments giant Visa confirmed it signed a definitive agreement to acquire fraud prevention firm BioCatch for $2.4bn in cash. In a statement, Visa said the acquisition compliments its existing cyber, fraud, risk and security solutions. It is expected to help clients better protect themselves and their customers from the growing threat of account takeovers, scams, money mules and application fraud.

“Account takeovers and scams cost the global economy over $1 trillion annually and AI is enabling these attacks at unprecedented scale,” said Andrew Torre, president of value-added services at Visa. 

Currently, BioCatch protects 1.8 billion devices and 760 million users around the world, serving more than 350 banking clients in 21 different countries.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of Visa’s fiscal second quarter of 2027, subject to customary closing conditions.

Fortinet Strengthens AI Security Strategy with Virtue AI Acquisition

Network security firm Fortinet announced the acquisition of Virtue AI on August 17. Virtue AI offers AI runtime protection, automated AI validation and security for autonomous AI systems.

Fortinet said the acquisition advances the firm’s broader ‘Security for AI’ strategy for security the agentic enterprise.

“Virtue AI’s technology will advance our vision for continuous AI assurance, helping customers govern and protect AI systems throughout their lifecycle while operating them confidently at enterprise scale,” said Ken Xie, Founder, chairman of the board, and CEO at Fortinet.

The financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Anaconda Expands AI Governance with Enkrypt AI Acquisition

Anaconda announced it had acquired Enkrypt AI, an AI security and compliance solution that finds and mitigates risks hidden inside enterprise AI, on August 4.

Anaconda provides a secure, governed foundation for working with open-source software across the entire AI development lifecycle. It currently has 21 billion downloads.

By incorporating Enkrypt AI, the Anaconda Platform will be able to govern every step from a builder’s first prompt to their AI-native application running in production.

Enkrypt AI translates complex regulatory frameworks into controls and guardrails that are enforced automatically. This includes the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and the EU AI Act, along with industry-specific regulations, giving enterprises verifiable compliance and a reduced attack surface, said an Anaconda statement.

AXA XL Acquires Remaining Stake in Cyber Consultancy S-RM

Insurance and risk management service provide AXA XL has agreed to fully acquire S-RM, a cybersecurity consultancy and specialist in corporate intelligence.

In the announcement, issued on August 6, AXA XL noted it already held around 49% of S-RM and will be acquiring the remaining shares. The acquisition of S-RM will support AXA XL’s strategy to expand its prevention offering, the former has already worked with AXA XL for over 15 years.

S-RM is expected to continue to deliver services to its global client base as part of AXA XL Risk Advisory, AXA XL’s newly created business unit dedicated to prevention.

Completion of the transaction is subject to customary closing conditions and is expected to take place by the end of September 2026.