Qlik accelerates M&A security monitoring with Expel MDR

A global leader in data integration, data quality, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI), Qlik® has grown from its roots as an analytics software provider into a comprehensive technology powerhouse serving over 40,000 customers worldwide. The company’s evolution over two decades—from traditional software licensing to a cloud-first enterprise platform—is helping companies worldwide turn their data into better decisions and trusted action.

Qlik’s growth strategy includes strategic acquisitions to complement and enhance its technology portfolio. This approach, while effective for business expansion, creates significant security challenges because each acquired company arrives with its own tools, maturity levels, and security practices that must be unified under a single security framework. The move to cloud-first operations adds another layer of complexity, requiring specialized cloud expertise and security coverage across traditional corporate systems, customer-facing SaaS platforms, and cloud infrastructure.

“The threat landscape for technology companies has expanded dramatically,” explains Louis Yeck, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Qlik. “We’re protecting not just our employees and infrastructure but also supporting customers who rely on our data analytics and integration capabilities across cloud, on-premises, and containerized environments.”

The security team faced multiple immediate challenges with each acquisition. They needed to rapidly assess security maturity, identify gaps, and create integration plans while maintaining continuous security monitoring across global time zones. Traditional security tools proved particularly inadequate for cloud environments. “The existing solutions struggled to effectively analyze and contextualize cloud security alerts,” Yeck explains. “We needed a partner who could translate complex cloud security data into actionable insights, especially as our cloud presence grew and acquisitions brought their own cloud infrastructures.”

For years, Expel has been a trusted partner in monitoring Qlik’s customer-facing SaaS platform. “We needed a security partner who understood both traditional endpoint security and the complexities of cloud environments,” says Yeck. “Expel grasped our challenges with SaaS and cloud from day one, even around cutting-edge technologies like containers, Docker, and Kubernetes that weren’t widely used when we started this journey.”

Expel’s ability to deliver meaningful, contextual alerts set it apart from other providers. “Other solutions we evaluated couldn’t translate cloud security alerts into actions,” Yeck explains. “They just didn’t get it, which was one of the main reasons we sought an alternative.”

Expel’s effective monitoring of Qlik’s SaaS platform led to an expanded partnership. “It made sense to bring Expel in for our business environment,” says Yeck. “We were looking for a third-party security provider who not only offered MDR services but also understood our need for cloud alerts, whether for development environments or internal IT services supporting our stakeholders.”

As Qlik pursued its acquisition strategy, the company needed a security partner who could quickly gain visibility into the security environments of newly acquired companies. Expel’s experience with similar scenarios and proven ability to rapidly assess security technologies made them an ideal fit for Qlik’s needs.

Expel serves as an extension of Qlik’s security team, providing continuous monitoring across both business and SaaS environments while integrating seamlessly with existing security tools. When security events occur outside business hours, Expel automatically quarantines affected systems until the Qlik security team can investigate. “If something happens overnight for the US team, Expel can take action like putting a laptop in quarantine mode,” Yeck says. “That means my analysts don’t have to be up, and it gives them time to deal with it in the morning when the threat is already contained.”

Expel’s framework helps merge new companies quickly while keeping them protected, letting Qlik focus on team integration. “Expel’s easy onboarding process has measurably accelerated our ability to bring new companies up to our security baseline,” Yeck says. “We onboarded the majority of our systems within a couple of weeks, which helps us realize acquisition value faster.”

Expel also customizes monitoring and reporting based on specific Qlik requirements. When the team wanted visibility into potentially unwanted applications without drowning in alerts, Expel developed specialized reporting. “We received exactly the level of detail required in the right format,” Yeck says. “It’s about shaping the service exactly the way we need it.”

Through Slack integration, Qlik’s team maintains direct communication with Expel analysts, enabling quick alert validation and response coordination without formal ticketing processes. This streamlined communication, combined with automated responses to common scenarios, ensures rapid action around the clock while freeing Qlik’s security team to focus on strategic initiatives

• Responds to alerts in under 20 minutes through advanced MDR capabilities
• Automates off-hours response
• Rapidly monitors acquired companies’ security environments, providing instant visibility
• Provides 24/7 security monitoring across corporate and SaaS platforms
• Delivers customized alert reporting tailored to business needs

Expel has helped Qlik transform security integration from M&A to strategic advantage. The partnership enables rapid security assessments of new acquisitions while maintaining robust protection across expanding operations.

“Security leaders need different integration playbooks based on acquisition size and complexity,” says Yeck. “The due diligence for a major acquisition requires thorough cloud infrastructure reviews and technical audits. We’ve refined these processes with each acquisition, creating targeted approaches for different scenarios.”

The standardized onboarding process helps acquisitions reach security baselines quickly, while automated monitoring frees Qlik security team members to focus on strategic initiatives. This approach supports aggressive growth targets without compromising protection.

“Working with Expel has matured our security integration strategy significantly,” Yeck says. “Our focus now is streamlining these processes even further, especially as we evaluate larger and more complex acquisitions. We’re developing more sophisticated assessment frameworks while maintaining the speed that business growth demands.”

The partnership continues evolving to meet new challenges. “Expel functions as a true extension of our security team, providing comprehensive support rather than just being another service provider,” says Yeck. “This approach enables us to scale security operations efficiently while adapting to an expanding technology portfolio.”