For Splunk, the acquisition is a no-brainer. Phantom's products help automate the work of IT security staff, many of whom use Splunk's software to triage incidents within their security operations centers. Haiyan Song, who heads Splunk's security markets group, tells Fortune that "a utomation is becoming more and more important because of the shortage in professional capabilities," referring to a talent deficit that continues to plague the cybersecurity industry. "You need to adapt defense at machine speed," she says. Splunk and Phantom first partnered in 2016 as part of an initiative to more tightly integrate their products. That same year Phantom made a big splash at the annual RSA Conference, the cybersecurity industry's biggest event, when it placed first in a notable startup competition. Song said the acquisition was "the natural next step for us to join forces." For Splunk, security remains big—and growing—part of its business.