Becrypt
Becrypt is a UK cybersecurity company cleared to protect data at Top Secret classification level; its acquisition by Italian defence group Leonardo is pending a Q2 2026 close.
Last refreshed: 7 June 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
What does Italian ownership of Britain's Top Secret-cleared Becrypt mean for UK sovereign cyber capability?
- What does Becrypt do and who does it work for?
- Becrypt is a UK cybersecurity firm specialising in high-assurance endpoint security, data-at-rest encryption and secure boot for government and defence clients. It holds UK Government clearance to protect data to Top Secret classification and supplies the UK Ministry of Defence, GCHQ and other sensitive government organisations.Source: Leonardo S.p.A. press release / Becrypt.com
- Why is Leonardo buying Becrypt?
- Leonardo is acquiring Becrypt to expand its cybersecurity division's UK Government and defence footprint. Becrypt's Top Secret clearance and established MoD/GCHQ relationships give Leonardo direct access to the UK's most sensitive government cyber supply chain, complementing Leonardo's existing European government cyber business.Source: Leonardo S.p.A. press release
- Does the Leonardo acquisition of Becrypt pose a UK national security risk?
- The acquisition is subject to UK National Security and Investment Act review because Becrypt supplies Top Secret-cleared cyber products to the MoD and intelligence community. Leonardo is Italian state-backed, and Italy is a NATO ally. The risk assessment centres on whether Italian state ownership creates unacceptable foreign visibility into UK classified supply chains, not on the technology itself.Source: UK National Security and Investment Act 2021
- What products does Becrypt make for the UK government?
- Becrypt's core products include hardware-enforced data-at-rest encryption solutions, secure boot systems, and network access control products built to CESG (now NCSC) specifications. Its hardware security module integration and assured data-in-transit products are used in classified government and military environments that handle information up to Top Secret.Source: Becrypt.com / NCSC
Background
Becrypt is a British cybersecurity company founded in 2001 and headquartered in London, specialising in data protection and endpoint security solutions for high-assurance government and defence environments. The company holds UK Government clearance to protect information to Top Secret classification, making it one of a small number of commercial firms certified to handle the most sensitive data in the UK Government estate. Its clients include the UK Ministry of Defence, GCHQ, and other central government and intelligence community organisations.
In March 2026, Italian defence group Leonardo S.p.A. announced its agreement to acquire Becrypt, with a close expected in Q2 2026. The acquisition represents a move of a UK-government-cleared crypto and endpoint security supplier into Italian state-backed ownership: the Italian government holds approximately 30 per cent of Leonardo. Becrypt's significance to the UK MoD supply chain means the deal is subject to review under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, which gives UK ministers powers to scrutinise or unwind acquisitions that could harm national security.
Becrypt's Top Secret clearance reflects a decade of investment in hardware-enforced data-at-rest encryption, secure boot, and network access control solutions built to CESG/NCSC specifications. This technical foundation, particularly its hardware security module integration, is the core asset Leonardo is acquiring to expand its UK Government cyber offering. The deal's significance for UK cyber policy lies less in the technology itself and more in the precedent of NATO-ally state ownership of a UK-cleared sovereign security supplier.