Microsoft acquires IoT security provider ReFirm Labs

Microsoft announced that it has acquired ReFirm Labs, a US-based provider of IoT security solutions, for an undisclosed amount.

The company is known for developing new methods for detecting security flaws in IoT devices, and its Binwalk (formerly Centrifuge) platform has become a popular tool for extracting firmware.

Binwalk has been used to analyze thousands of device types for firmware security issues, uncovering unpatched common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVEs), insecure secrets, and a multitude of other security problems in plugin IoT devices and embedded firmware. ReFirm’s firmware analysis technology will advance Microsoft’s existing capabilities to help secure IoT and OT devices via Azure Defender for IoT which was recently enhanced with technology from our acquisition of CyberX. Together, we will provide device builders and customers the ability to both discover, protect, and assess device risk both at the firmware and network level and then patch devices with an easy-to-use cloud-based solution as is explained in this video.