Aug 14 (Reuters) - Accenture ( ACN ) said on Thursday it

will buy Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX in its

largest-ever deal in the sector, with the Australian Financial

Review valuing the transaction at more than A$1 billion ($650

million).

Private equity firm BGH Capital is selling CyberCX. However,

financial terms have not been disclosed. Neither Accenture ( ACN ) nor

BGH Capital immediately responded to Reuters requests for

comment on the reported valuation.

The deal comes amid a global surge in cases of cyberattacks,

as companies from healthcare to finance grapple with

increasingly sophisticated threats that disrupt operations and

compromise sensitive data.

Melbourne-based CyberCX was formed in 2019 through the

merger of 12 smaller cybersecurity firms backed by BGH Capital.

The company now employs about 1,400 people and runs security

operations centres across Australia and New Zealand, with

offices in London and New York.

Since 2015, Accenture ( ACN ) has completed 20 security

acquisitions, including recent purchases of Brazilian cyber

defense firm Morphus, MNEMO Mexico and Spain-based Innotec

Security.

"Client demand for cybersecurity services is accelerating as

data and digital environments become increasingly connected and

heightened threats are exposed across operational value chains,

supply chains and the enterprise," said Peter Burns, who leads

Accenture's ( ACN ) business in Australia and New Zealand.

($1 = A$1.5385)