San Francisco, Feb 1 (IANS): US-based cybersecurity company Proofpoint is laying off 280 employees, or around six per cent of its total workforce of 4,500.

The job cuts will include around 20 employees in its Israel offices, which number around 300 people, reports Calcalist.

"To position Proofpoint for continued and long-term success as a world-class business operating at scale, we have made the difficult decision to reduce our current workforce by about 280 positions globally," the company was quoted as saying.

"Some of the positions under consultation are in Israel and we are being sensitive to the current situation in the country," it added.

Proofpoint said that it will offer extended departure terms for Israeli employees who will be impacted.

Moreover, the cybersecurity firm said that the decision was not taken lightly, and it was deeply rooted in their forward-looking company strategy of aligning their investments and hiring to their strategic priorities, the report noted.

"We appreciate our employees’ dedication and service and are committed to helping them make this transition as smoothly as possible. As the cybersecurity partner of choice for organisations globally, we remain steadfast in our mission to protect people and defend data against people-centric cybersecurity risks," Proofpoint said.

Thoma Bravo, a private equity firm, acquired Proofpoint in a cash deal worth $12.3 billion in 2021. Prior to the deal's close, Proofpoint reported $1.05 billion in revenue for 2020, an increase of 18 per cent from the previous year.