An award-winning cyber security firm based in Bury St Edmunds has been acquired by a Cheshire-based company.

Telecoms and ICT provider Chess said the acquisition of Foursys for an undisclosed sum will add more than £11m to its turnover, bringing it to £120m.

The Foursys team, which services customers across the UK, has 20 years’ experience in providing cyber security to public sector, small and medium-sized businesses, corporate, and enterprise organisations.

It employs 50 staff and has grown strongly since a management buyout in 2013 by its current directors James Miller and Jez Turner.

Chess ICT, which already provides services including product supply and installation, storage, hosted and cloud solutions, managed services, networking infrastructure, professional services, business continuity, unified communications and systems management, said the addition was “a perfect fit” for its portfolio. The addition of Foursys, which will continue with its workforce at its present site, brings its overall employee numbers to 600.

Chess founder and chief executive David Pollock said: “Cyber security is of upmost importance for any modern business. Foursys share our passion for delivering technological advantage and importantly this acquisition enhances our security offering to our customers.

“Together with their expertise, we have the talent and technology needed to deliver truly integrated solutions across enterprise, mobile and cloud environments.”

Foursys managing director James Miller said the cultural, organisational and business fit of the two companies was “perfect”.

“I’m delighted that Chess see the acquisition of Foursys as such a key step on their growth journey. Being part of a much larger business brings new supplier choice, opportunities, expertise and skills in a wide range of ICT disciplines to our customers and partners,” he said.

Chess director Richard Btesh said the acquisition showed other potential sellers in the telecoms, data and ICT sector that his firm was “the stand-out choice”.

“We continue to diversify our product range by making strategic acquisitions of quality businesses,”. he added.

Foursys partner Sophos, a hardware and software firm which has worked with the company for the past 10 years, welcomed the announcement.

Sophos channel sales director Johnathan Bartholomew said: “Sophos is proud of our outstanding relationship with Foursys over the past 10 years of working together. We are thrilled with the announcement of the recent acquisition with the Chess Group, and see this as an opportunity for Foursys to continue to accelerate the growth they have seen with Sophos in previous years.

“Chess will provide Foursys with the platform to deliver the Sophos security solutions to even more organisations in the UK.”

Foursys will undergo a rebrand later on this year.