Situation — Selling or buying a company

We are buying a company: I want to know what its IT is really worth before signing.

Context

The letter of intent is signed. The accounts have been scrutinised. One grey area remains: the IT of the company you are buying.

Its tools, its client data, its access rights: nobody on your side has really looked at them.

The problem

  • When you buy a company, you also buy its security flaws, even those the seller doesn't know about.
  • A flaw found after signing can no longer be negotiated: it has to be paid for.
  • Integration connects its systems to yours, and a breach on its side becomes yours.

Case study

Real-life caseOctober 2024

Marriott and Starwood, hospitality

In 2016, Marriott bought the hotel group Starwood. An intrusion into Starwood's reservation system, present since 2014, was only discovered in 2018. Up to 339 million guests were affected.

Marriott says it could only carry out a limited audit of Starwood's systems before the acquisition. The UK regulator pointed out that due diligence is not a one-off exercise, and fined Marriott 18.4 million pounds in 2020 (Mayer Brown (opens in a new tab)).

In October 2024, the FTC, the US consumer protection authority, required Marriott to run a security programme under oversight for 20 years. Marriott also paid 52 million dollars to 49 US states and the District of Columbia.

Read the sourceFTC Takes Action Against Marriott and Starwood Over Multiple Data Breaches — Federal Trade Commission (opens in a new tab)

Why us?

  • We list the target's main cyber risks in a "red flags" report.
  • We assess its exposure: security flaws, dependence on providers, regulatory risk.
  • You receive a clear memo for your decision: proceed, negotiate or walk away.
  • Our findings rest on timestamped evidence, usable by your team and your lawyer.

Contact us

Talk to an expert

A free 30-minute video call with one of our experts, then your free quote, with no commitment.

Take the diagnostic

A few questions, the first already answered for your situation: your answers help us prepare the video call. Free, no sign-up, about 2 minutes.