Forcepoint
| File:Forcepoint Logo New.webp | |
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | subsidiary |
| Nasdaq: WBSN | |
| Industry | Cyber security |
| Founded | 1994 in Sorrento Valley, San Diego |
| Founder | Phil Trubey |
| Headquarters | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
Area served | Global |
Key people | Ryan Windham, CEO |
| Revenue | $658 million (2019) |
| Owner |
|
Number of employees | 1,800 (2025) |
| Website | www |
Forcepoint is a U.S.-based multinational corporation and software company located in Austin, Texas, focusing on solutions in computer security software, data protection, cloud access security brokerage, firewalls, and cross-domain technologies.
The firm was established in 1994 as NetPartners by Phil Trubey in Sorrento Valley, San Diego. Initially, it operated as a reseller of network security products before creating software aimed at regulating employee Internet usage. The company rebranded as Websense in 1999 and went public in 2000 amid the dot-com boom. In 2013, private equity group Vista Equity Partners acquired Websense for $906 million. Raytheon acquired an 80% share in April 2015 for $1.9 billion and assumed complete ownership by 2019. After purchasing network security provider Stonesoft from Intel in 2015, the company adopted the name Forcepoint in 2016. In January 2021, private equity firm Francisco Partners took ownership of Forcepoint from Raytheon's successor entity, RTX Corporation.
NetPartners
NetPartners was launched in 1994 by Phil Trubey as a network security product reseller headquartered in Sorrento Valley, San Diego. By 1998, the company had secured $6 million in venture capital and achieved annual revenues of $6 million. Later that year, investors appointed John Carrington as CEO to drive accelerated growth and provide strategic leadership, replacing Trubey.
Websense
In June 1999, NetPartners changed its name to Websense.
During the dot-com bubble in March 2000, the company completed an initial public offering raising $72 million; its shares doubled in value on the first day of trading.
Gene Hodges, formerly CEO of McAfee, became Websense's chief executive officer in 2006. That same year, Websense acquired PortAuthority—a fingerprint security firm—for $90 million. In October 2007, it expanded further by purchasing email security provider SurfControl for $400 million. The company's portfolio grew again in 2009 with the acquisition of Defensio, which specialized in spam and malware protection for social media platforms.
By 2009, Websense employed approximately 1,400 personnel across offices located in England, China, Australia, and Israel. In 2011, Facebook deployed Websense technology to secure shared links on its platform.
Vista Equity Partners bought Websense in 2013 for $906 million and subsequently moved its headquarters first to San Diego and later to Austin, Texas in 2014. In 2015, Raytheon acquired the company from Vista Equity Partners for $1.9 billion and combined it with its RCP division to create Raytheon/Websense. Later that year, Raytheon broadened its cybersecurity portfolio by acquiring Foreground Security for $62 million.
Forcepoint
In May 2015, Raytheon secured an 80% ownership of Websense by investing around $1.9 billion. Later that year, it further broadened its network security offerings by acquiring Intel’s Stonesoft and Sidewinder subsidiaries for $389 million. These entities were previously known as McAfee Next-Generation Firewall (Stonesoft) and McAfee Firewall Enterprise (Sidewinder).
By January 2016, Websense and its acquired units consolidated under the new Forcepoint brand, incorporating Raytheon's Cyber Products division. At its inception, Forcepoint had a workforce of 2,000 employees and served a client base where one-third belonged to the U.S. federal government. Despite being the smallest among Raytheon’s five primary business segments, Forcepoint achieved the highest profit margins. In 2017, the company restructured into four divisions: Cloud Security, Network Security, Data & Insider Threat Security, and Global Governments.
Matthew Moynahan took over as CEO in April 2016. Under his guidance, Forcepoint enhanced its security analytics portfolio by acquiring Skyfence, a cloud access security broker from Imperva in February 2017, followed by RedOwl, specializing in user behavior analytics, in August 2017. In the final quarter of 2019, Raytheon purchased the remaining 20% stake from Vista Ventures Partners LLC for $588 million.
In October 2020, Francisco Partners reached an agreement to acquire Forcepoint from RTX Corporation, Raytheon's successor company, with the deal finalized in January 2021. To prioritize commercial markets, Francisco Partners divested Forcepoint’s government cybersecurity segment to TPG Inc. for $2.45 billion in July 2023. Subsequently, in January 2024, this government-focused unit was renamed Everfox to highlight its commitment to defense-grade cybersecurity.
This series of acquisitions and organizational changes illustrates Forcepoint’s strategic evolution aimed at reinforcing its position within both federal and commercial cybersecurity markets.
Version history
By 1997, three years following Forcepoint's establishment, version 3 of its software debuted with the introduction of the first graphical web-based administrative interface. Initially designed to limit employee access to internet content, by 2006 the software incorporated capabilities to detect attempts to access websites containing malicious code.
In 2007, Websense expanded its offerings by adding controls for social media content, endpoint security solutions, a website reputation ranking system, and a version tailored for small businesses. It also launched a tool designed to identify sensitive files stored in unsecured corporate network locations and monitor their transmission.
Websense’s filtering categories covered areas such as professional organizations, political affiliations, LGBTQ+ interests, sex education topics, alternative religious beliefs, and sports content. A 2008 survey of Georgia Technical Colleges revealed differing levels of category blocking across institutions. Although improvements had been made since 2002, the Rhode Island ACLU criticized Websense in 2005 as a "blunt instrument" that still restricted access to legitimate public library materials.
The company introduced its first web security appliance in 2009. By 2010, consolidating products into the Triton software suite significantly increased revenue. In February 2012, Forcepoint launched a cloud-based IT security platform for mobile devices which was later upgraded to detect sensitive information within images. By 2016, three new products were released focusing on mitigating employee-related security threats.
This version history underscores Forcepoint’s ongoing business strategy adjustments and product innovation efforts designed to sustain competitive advantage and expand its footprint in cybersecurity solutions.
Censorship
Forcepoint enforces a policy that prohibits sales to governments and ISPs engaged in Internet censorship, although it has encountered criticism regarding alleged associations with limiting free speech and access to information. In 2009, the Yemeni government utilized Forcepoint’s technology to surveil and restrict online activities, which led Forcepoint to suspend Yemen’s access to database updates. Nevertheless, platforms such as Tumblr remained inaccessible within Yemen. Likewise, the Canadian firm Netsweeper has been linked to supporting censorship efforts by Yemeni authorities, including those under the Houthi administration.
In 2011, Forcepoint became a member of the Global Network Initiative, an organization dedicated to protecting privacy and promoting Internet freedom; however, it withdrew from the initiative in 2014.
A 2002 analysis published in JAMA demonstrated that Forcepoint’s web-filtering was effective in blocking pornographic content while still permitting health-related information. Conversely, assessments by the American Civil Liberties Union and Brennan Center for Justice criticized the filtering for being excessively broad, resulting in the blocking of legitimate websites such as a site for furniture refinishing. It was estimated that between 0% and 15% of blocked sites should have remained accessible, while about 10% of inappropriate sites were not filtered out. The software also blocks any pages containing pornographic links anywhere within their content, including user comments, which can result in entire websites being restricted.
In 2009, there was a brief incident where Forcepoint incorrectly flagged Cisco Systems’ website as associated with hacking due to an IP address connected to a hacker site; this error was promptly rectified after review.