Synopsys Inc. is best known for selling specialized software that helps chip makers develop new semiconductors. On Thursday afternoon, however, the company entered the spotlight over in the cybersecurity world by announcing plans to acquire Black Duck Software Inc. for $565 million.

Burlington, Massachusetts-based Black Duck offers tools for reining in the growing number of open-source components that developers incorporate into their projects. The provider’s flagship Black Duck Hub platform can identify all the open-source code in an application and look for security vulnerabilities that may open a door to hackers. It also has a policy enforcement mechanism that lets companies apply their own custom rules.

The software will bolster Synopsys’ burgeoning lineup of application security tools. Although these products don’t exactly fall into its core focus area, they are emerging as an increasingly important revenue source. Synopsys previously expanded the lineup in January by buying some technology assets off Forcheck BV, a Dutch firm that helps development teams find code defects which could potentially be exploited by attackers.

Besides Hub, the acquisition of Black Hub is also set to buy Synopsys a tool called Protex for handling the legal challenges associated with open-source software. The product helps companies identify applications components with licensing restrictions that may require them to change how they’re implemented or find an alternative.

Black Duck’s tools are used by a long list of companies. The provider counts Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Hortonworks Inc., SAP SA and several other big names among its customers.

Synopsys expects to complete the acquisition of Black Duck in December. Under the terms of the transaction, the company will pay out the $565 million price tag in cash and take on the unvested equity held by employees. It expects the deal to add between $55 million and $60 million to revenues in its 2018 fiscal year.

Image: Black Duck