Zafran Security has publicly denied reports that Cisco Systems is acquiring the company for approximately $150 million. The Israeli cybersecurity vendor clarified that the relationship with the networking giant is limited to a strategic investment rather than a full purchase.
The denial followed a report by the Israeli publication Calcalis, which claimed Cisco was targeting Zafran as part of its fourth acquisition of 2026. The report suggested the deal would represent a bargain for Cisco, noting that Zafran had accumulated annual recurring revenue of roughly $20 million in the previous year, falling short of earlier growth expectations.
A Cisco representative addressed the speculation by confirming the investment but rejecting the acquisition narrative. The statement emphasized Cisco’s confidence in Zafran’s platform and highlighted the company’s strong business momentum. The representative pointed to record sales figures and positive customer feedback regarding the platform’s effectiveness in regulated industries.
The comment also noted recent traction in the market, citing a recent investment from American Express Ventures as evidence of the company’s standing. Zafran, founded in 2022, provides threat exposure management solutions for cloud and on-premises environments, integrating with tools such as Amazon Web Services and Snyk.
Zafran has positioned its services as an alternative to Cisco’s Kenna, a risk-based vulnerability management tool that Cisco acquired in 2021 and has since shuttered. The Kenna service overlapped with features found in Cisco’s Splunk suite, specifically regarding exposure analytics and asset risk intelligence.
The alleged acquisition would have been Cisco’s fourth major purchase this year. The company is currently in negotiations to acquire identity vendor WideField Security. Previous acquisitions in 2026 include Astrix Security and observability provider Galileo Technologies.