Avast is bought by Norton for 8.6 billion US dollars

[German]NortonLifeLock and Avast are planning a merger that could be worth up to $8.6 billion, as The Verge reports. NortonLifeLock CEO Vincent Pilette made the announcement in this short note. NortonLifeLock is expected to acquire all of Avast's shares, which would create a large cybersecurity vendor. With this merger, the officials hope to strengthen the cybersecurity platform and make it available to more than 500 million users. NortonLifeLock CEO says, "We'll also be able to further accelerate innovation to transform cybersecurity." The merger should result in antivirus products that combine the benefits of Avast's focus on data protection and NortonLifeLock's expertise in identity. The hope is to be well positioned for consumers and businesses in the age of ransomware.