Neohapsis, now part of Cisco
Neohapsis, now part of Cisco is a company.
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Key people at Neohapsis, now part of Cisco.
Neohapsis, now part of Cisco is a company.
Key people at Neohapsis, now part of Cisco.
Key people at Neohapsis, now part of Cisco.
# Neohapsis: Cisco's Security Advisory Acquisition
Neohapsis is a security advisory and consulting firm that Cisco acquired in December 2014 to expand its professional and managed security services capabilities[1][2]. The company provides risk management, compliance, cloud, application, mobile, and infrastructure security solutions primarily to Fortune 500 clients[3]. Following the acquisition, Neohapsis became part of Cisco's Security Services organization, enabling the networking giant to deliver comprehensive advisory services alongside its existing threat detection and prevention technologies[1].
The acquisition reflected Cisco's strategic pivot toward the rapidly growing market for managed and professional security services. Rather than relying solely on hardware and software products, Cisco sought to combine Neohapsis's deep consulting expertise with its own security infrastructure capabilities—including its $2.7 billion Sourcefire acquisition and ThreatGrid malware analysis platform—to offer customers end-to-end security solutions[2].
Neohapsis was founded in 1997 as a Chicago-based consulting boutique and was acquired by a previous owner in 2006, after which it retained its original name[4]. The company's name derives from Greek, meaning "new happenings," reflecting its focus on emerging security challenges[1]. By the time Cisco acquired it, Neohapsis had grown to serve approximately 10 of the Fortune 50 and 60 of the Fortune 500, with offices throughout the U.S. and clients globally[1][4].
The company built its reputation as a specialized advisory firm addressing evolving information security, risk management, and compliance challenges—areas where enterprise clients increasingly needed expert guidance rather than just technology solutions[3].
The Neohapsis acquisition exemplified a broader industry trend in 2014-2015: security vendors moving beyond point products into comprehensive, managed services[2]. As cyber threats grew more sophisticated and regulatory requirements (compliance, risk management) became more complex, enterprises needed not just detection tools but strategic advisory partners.
Cisco's acquisition strategy reflected the market reality that professional services and managed security services represented a high-margin, sticky revenue stream compared to traditional hardware sales. By combining Neohapsis's consulting capabilities with Sourcefire's threat detection and ThreatGrid's malware analysis, Cisco could position itself as a full-stack security provider—from advisory and strategy through detection and response[2].
This move also signaled that partners with strong managed security practices could compete effectively against vendors, making the acquisition both a competitive consolidation and a way to bring that expertise in-house[2].
The Neohapsis acquisition allowed Cisco to address a critical gap: translating its security technology investments into tangible business outcomes for enterprise customers. Rather than leaving advisory services to third-party integrators, Cisco could now directly shape how customers implemented security strategies.
Looking forward, the integration positioned Cisco to capitalize on the shift toward security-as-a-service and managed security services—markets that continued to grow as enterprises struggled with talent shortages and the complexity of modern threat landscapes. By embedding Neohapsis's advisory expertise within its Security Services organization, Cisco created a model where technology and human expertise reinforced each other, making the company stickier to its largest customers and harder for competitors to displace.
