Optiv Security

Optiv Security

Optiv Security was formed in 2015 when private equity firm Blackstone acquired a majority stake and merged Accuvant and FishNet Security, two established cybersecurity resellers and services firms. The combined entity operated under CEO Dan Burns before Kevin Lynch took the helm in 2020, inheriting a platform built exclusively for enterprise cybersecurity architecture. The firm remains privately held, with Blackstone and other institutional investors comprising its ownership structure. Optiv functions as a security solutions integrator, spanning advisory services, technology resale, and managed security operations. Its deployment model covers identity and access management, risk and compliance, cloud security, and offensive security testing across hybrid environments. The firm partners with over 500 technology vendors, including CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, and Splunk, and positions itself as a single procurement and design layer for CISOs managing fragmented tool stacks. Direct managed services include 24/7 detection and response from its own security operations centers in Kansas and the United Kingdom. The firm reports working with 7,500 clients across North America and select international markets, primarily large enterprises and government agencies. In April 2024, Optiv announced it had exceeded $3 billion in annual revenue for the first time, attributing the milestone to expanded managed service engagements and growth in its federal practice (per the firm, April 2024). Adjacent operational arms include the Optiv Charitable Foundation, which funds cybersecurity education and veteran transition programs. Optiv's structural differentiator lies in its independence from any single technology manufacturer. Unlike security service arms embedded within accounting firms or the professional services divisions of major hardware vendors, Optiv does not sell its own proprietary security software. This vendor-agnostic posture means its advisory and architecture work is not constrained by product-aligned incentives — a model that echoes the solutions-integrator role that CDW and SHI occupy in general IT, but focused purely on cybersecurity spend.