Cybersecurity shares jump after Symantec takeover talks, malware alert - InvestingChannel

Cybersecurity shares jump after Symantec takeover talks, malware alert

Shares of firms in the cybersecurity space are trading higher on Wednesday after Bloomberg reported that Broadcom (AVGO) was in advanced talks to buy Symantec (SYMC) and the U.S. Cyber Command put a Malware Alert out on its Twitter feed. SYMANTEC BUYOUT REPORT: After the close on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter, that Broadcom is in advanced talks to acquire Symantec, and a deal could be reached within weeks. Shares of Symantec jumped in after-hours trading following the report, and are currently higher by almost 14% to $25.13 in late morning trading. MALWARE ALERT: The tweet said: “USCYBERCOM has discovered active malicious use of CVE-2017-11774 and recommends immediate #patching. Malware is currently delivered from: ‘hxxps://customermgmt.net/page/macrocosm’ #cybersecurity #infosec.” APT33: According to ZD Net, the virus was reported by “SensePost researchers in the fall of 2017, but by 2018, it had been weaponized by an Iranian state-sponsored hacking group known as APT33 or Elfin, primarily known for developing the Shamoon disk-wiping malware. PRICE ACTION: Shares of FireEye (FEYE) are up over 4% to $15.30 per share, while Palo Alto Networks (PANW) is up 3% to $211 per share. OTHERS TO WATCH: Other publicly traded companies in the space are higher, including Fortinet (FTNT), CyberArk Software (CYBR), and Proofpoint (PFPT).