Cylance

Cylance was a leading innovator in AI-powered endpoint security before being acquired by BlackBerry

Cylance was a cybersecurity company founded in 2012 that pioneered the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning for endpoint protection and threat prevention. The company developed predictive security solutions that used AI algorithms to identify and block malware and advanced threats before they could execute, representing a significant departure from traditional signature-based antivirus approaches. In February 2019, BlackBerry acquired Cylance for $1.4 billion to strengthen its enterprise software and security portfolio. Following the acquisition, Cylance's technology was integrated into BlackBerry's cybersecurity offerings, operating as part of BlackBerry's Cyber Security division. The Cylance brand and products continued under BlackBerry's umbrella, with solutions like CylancePROTECT and CylanceOPTICS remaining available as part of BlackBerry's unified endpoint security platform. The acquisition allowed BlackBerry to combine Cylance's AI-powered prevention capabilities with its own secure communications and endpoint management solutions. Cylance is not an AdTech company and has no presence in the advertising technology ecosystem. It operated exclusively in the cybersecurity and endpoint protection market, serving enterprise customers across various industries seeking advanced threat prevention solutions. The company's legacy lies in popularizing AI-based predictive security approaches that influenced the broader cybersecurity industry's evolution away from reactive, signature-based detection methods.