Imperva is a cybersecurity company focused on protecting web applications, APIs, data, cloud networks, and edge networks for business clients. With two decades of experience, Imperva is an industry-recognized enterprise security vendor in application security.
This article looks at Imperva’s products and solutions, competitors, partner ecosystem, recognition, and vendor background.
Imperva’s products and solutions are available as standalone solutions or combined to form the vendor’s Sonar Platform for securing applications, data, and edge networks. Together, Sonar offers comprehensive security with orchestration, analysis, and automation capabilities.
Imperva’s application security suite is the vendor’s specialty, offering web application firewalls (WAF), API security, and protection for advanced bot attacks, client-side attacks, runtime application risks, and serverless functions.
Imperva’s data security solutions cover user behavior analytics, privacy and risk management, and cloud infrastructure for enterprise organizations.
As organizations adopt edge networks with a multitude of IoT devices and 5G connectivity, Imperva’s edge security solutions include protection against DNS and DDoS attacks and securing content delivery networks (CDN).
Imperva’s offerings include options for channel partners and managed security service providers (MSSPs) to deliver the vendor’s cybersecurity solutions or technology alliance partners to integrate technologies for unique solutions.
Indirect sales partners can join the Imperva Partner Program for partner-sourced deals and deal registration, market development funds (MDF), and sales support while selling the vendor’s industry-recognized products. Channel partners can move through the vendor’s tiered system (Silver, Gold, Platinum) for even more benefits. Imperva currently boasts over 500 channel partners in 70 countries.
Imperva also offers its products and platform to managed security service providers helping business clients downstream. The MSSP program comes with a service creation commitment, flexible partner engagement tiers, and a scalable pricing methodology aligned with the industry.
For security technology vendors, the Imperva Technology Alliance Program (TAP) helps partners integrate the company’s technologies into custom solutions.
Imperva’s TAP partners include 40 reputable IT vendors, including AWS, BMC Software, CA Technologies, Cisco, Cloudera, Cyberark, FireEye, HPE, IBM, LogRhythm, Microsoft, Oracle, Proofpoint, Qualys, Rapid7, Red Hat, SAP, Splunk, Teradata, and VMware.
Imperva has one of the longest active streaks on the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Application Firewalls – positioned as a Leader every since 2014.
On Gartner Peer Insights, Imperva holds an average score of 4.6 / 5 stars with 329 reviews for the Web Application and API Protection solution category. Customer reviews highlight improved compliance and risk management, business process outcomes, cost management, and added efficiencies.
Forrester Category | Quarter | Position |
DDoS Mitigation Solutions | Q1 2021 | Leader |
Bot Management | Q1 2020 | Leader |
Runtime Application Self-Protection | Q1 2018 | Leader* |
Ten years after Check Point Software Technologies took the information security industry by storm, co-founder Shlomo Kramer and entrepreneurs Amichai Shulman and Mickey Boodaei launched WEBcohort in 2002. Rebranded to Imperva in 2004, its first product was its flagship WAF solution.
In 2021, the San Mateo, California-based company had more than 1,700 employees across 30 offices locations in 19 countries. Imperva currently serves over 6,200 enterprise clients in 150 countries.
Imperva has acquired eight companies in its two-decade history, including Skyfense, Incapsula, Camouflage, Prevoty, Distill Networks, and jSonar. In 2017, the company sold its cloud access security broker (CASB) solution Skyfence to Forcepoint for $40 million.
In 2011, Imperva was listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker IMPV. Private equity firm Thoma Bravo acquired Imperva for $2.1 billion in January 2019.