Microsoft continued a spree of acquisitions, purchasing Israel-based cybersecurity company CyberX in a move to simplify IoT device management and security on its Azure cloud platform.

In a blog, Microsoft cloud and AI security CTO Michal Braverman-Blumenstyk and corporate VP for cloud and AI Azure IoT Sam George explained the acquisition will make it easier to provide customers visibility into what devices are already on their network and improve the security.

The company appeared particularly focused on use cases spanning industry and critical infrastructure, with the executives noting enhanced visibility is “a fundamental step to securely enable smart manufacturing, smart grid and other digitisation use cases across production facilities and the supply chain”.

Microsoft said the move is part of a plan it outlined in April 2018 to invest $5 billion over four years in IoT and intelligent edge technologies. It follows 5G-related acquisitions of Affirmed Networks and Metaswitch Networks earlier this year.

CyberX co-founders Nir Giller and Moer Schneider noted the deal will help “rapidly scale our business and technology”, adding IoT security is “more critical than ever” with the advent of Industry 4.0 and more businesses undertaking digital transformations.

Giller, Schneider and other CyberX staff will join Microsoft’s IoT security unit.

Financial details were not disclosed.