Leonardo has agreed to acquire British cybersecurity company Becrypt through its wholly owned subsidiary Leonardo UK Ltd, a move intended to strengthen the group’s position in trusted cybersecurity and expand its presence in the UK and Five Eyes cyber defence ecosystem, according to the company.
The acquisition is expected to enhance Leonardo’s cyber capabilities in areas including secure data transfer, endpoint security, cloud protection and data security. It also builds on the company’s existing collaboration with the UK Government and the National Cyber Security Centre to help secure sensitive government and defence environments.
Leonardo said the deal forms part of a wider strategy to expand its cyber portfolio and accelerate development of so-called “Zero Trust” security solutions. The company has recently pursued several cyber-focused acquisitions and partnerships across Europe, including Axiomatics, SSH Communication and Arbit.
“This latest acquisition in the UK marks another step forward in Leonardo’s strategy to build resilient and sovereign cybersecurity in Europe that overcomes current technological fragmentation,” said Roberto Cingolani, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager of Leonardo.
“It also testifies to our long-term commitment to the UK, a core home market which plays an important role in strengthening our international footprint.”
Cingolani added that the technologies involved would support the protection of sensitive national data and critical infrastructure as cyber threats evolve.
“Also, thanks to the capabilities acquired in Zero Trust, we are rapidly developing Leonardo’s reach in the cyber domain, which is essential for protecting our nations’ sensitive data and critical infrastructures which face rapidly evolving threats. This is why cybersecurity sits at the heart of Leonardo’s industrial strategy, playing a key role as an enabler for the development of our multi-domain solutions.”
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in London, Becrypt employs around 100 staff and develops security technologies designed to protect data up to Top Secret classification. Its portfolio includes secure operating systems, secure collaboration platforms, mobile device management and secure data transfer solutions.
According to the company, Becrypt’s technology is used across the UK Ministry of Defence and other government departments, supporting secure communications and data protection in sensitive operational environments.
Becrypt Chief Executive Bernard Parsons said the acquisition would allow the company to scale its technology globally.
“Being part of Leonardo provides Becrypt with the global reach and scale necessary to deploy our technology across a wider field. This will accelerate the development of our secure platforms, ensuring that the critical sectors we serve have access to the most advanced tools required to maintain information superiority and digital security.”
Completion of the acquisition remains subject to regulatory approvals and is expected during the second quarter of 2026, according to the company.
