Practically every leading threat detection platform on the market now uses some form of artificial intelligence. Juniper Networks Inc. on Thursday announced that it has struck an agreement to buy Cyphort Inc., a Santa Clara, California-based cybersecurity startup, in a move seemingly aimed at leveling the playing field.

Cyphort offers a platform for finding malicious activity that employs machine learning algorithms to identify points of interest. The software detects anomalies by analyzing a company’s backend infrastructure, the browsing activity of employees and emails. Organizations can also add data collected by other security tools into the mix to create a more complete operational picture.

Upon detecting a potential threat, Cyphort’s algorithms automatically take steps to pinpoint the source. The software then draws up a list of events throughout a company’s network that may be related to the breach. This information shows up in a timeline interface designed to let security professionals determine how to best prioritize their mitigation efforts, which can help reduce the damage from an attack.

Juniper plans to bake Cyphort’s technology into its Sky Advanced Threat Prevention service. The company says that the integration will allow for better malware detection and enable companies to scan more types of files.

On top of the software assets, the acquisition is also set to buy Juniper valuable security talent. The Cyphort team is led by Chief Executive Officer Manoj Leelanivas, who has previously spent 14 years with Juniper and had earlier worked at rival Cisco Systems Inc. He racked up 10 patents for his research along the way.

Juniper didn’t say how much it’s paying for Cyphort. The fact that the startup has raised over $53 million from investors would suggest the price tag is at least in the eight-figure range, if not more given the acquisition’s strategic importance.

Juniper is investing aggressively in building new breach prevention capabilities to reinvigorate its struggling security business. The unit saw revenues decline 12 percent in the last quarter even as the company’s total sales rose 7 percent. As part of the same turnaround push that motivated the Cyphort acquisition, Juniper earlier this week introduced a new network protection service designed to help companies better defend applications from attack.

Image: Juniper Networks