A-LIGN acquires Pathfynder to add offensive security services
A-LIGN said the Pathfynder deal will expand its security testing offerings and keep the unit operating separately from its assurance work.
A-LIGN said on Sept. 1, 2026, that it acquired Pathfynder, a veteran-owned offensive and defensive cybersecurity firm, to expand its security testing services for enterprise customers.
In its announcement, A-LIGN said enterprises face a threat environment that is increasingly costly, fast-moving and AI-accelerated, and that compliance alone is no longer enough to reduce cyberattack risk.
What Pathfynder does
Pathfynder focuses on network, cloud and web application penetration testing, along with red team exercises, adversary emulation, testing of complex and emerging capabilities, and forensics and incident response, according to the release. A-LIGN described the firm as a specialized offensive and defensive cybersecurity company staffed by specialists with decades of cybersecurity, military and intelligence community experience.
A-LIGN said Pathfynder will operate as “Pathfynder by A-LIGN” under the parent brand. The company said the structure is meant to preserve independence between A-LIGN’s assurance and assessment work and Pathfynder’s offensive security testing.
Background on A-LIGN
A-LIGN said it was founded in 2009 and serves more than 6,400 customers. The company said it has completed more than 36,000 audits, is the No. 1 issuer of SOC 2 reports and ranks among the top three FedRAMP assessors.
SOC 2 reports are assessments tied to a company’s controls around data security and related practices. FedRAMP is the federal program that sets security standards for cloud services used by the U.S. government.
What the companies said
A-LIGN CEO Scott Price said the acquisition lets the company offer advanced offensive security services through a team that operates independently from assurance and assessment while still drawing on institutional knowledge of the customer.
Pathfynder founder DJ Fuller said the companies share a mission of helping clients close security gaps and meet regulatory requirements to reduce the risk of financial and reputational damage from cyberattacks.
What happens next
The announcement did not say whether the companies will disclose financial terms or integration details. A-LIGN said Pathfynder will continue under its own brand format as part of the parent company.
Sources
Editorial note: This article was prepared with AI assistance and includes source attribution for reader review.
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