Cybersecurity firm Cofense says Pamplona to sell stake after U.S. probe: Reuters
Summary
The pressure to divest comes as Washington increases scrutiny on foreign ownership of U.S. technology companies, including by China, and is paying closer attention to deals that could compromise the personal data of U.S. citizens. Pamplona bought a minority stake in Cofense, which serves major corporations, in February 2018, when the company was known as PhishMe. Pamplona’s funds been partly backed by Russian billionaire Mikhail Fridman, who was on a February 2018 “oligarchs’ list” published by the U.S. Treasury Department, sources familiar with the matter said. Pamplona and Cofense signed an agreement with CFIUS in late October to complete a sale by July 10, 2019 in a process that will be overseen by a trustee approved by the U.S. government, the statement said. Reuters previously reported that CFIUS pressured a Chinese company called Kunlun to divest dating app Grindr.