PARIS, July 25 Reuters France39;s Thales said on Tuesday it would buy U.S. cybersecurity company Imperva in a deal worth 3.6 billion as it steps up expansion away from its historic defence business to the war against hacking.

Thales, which will be buying Imperva from software investor company Thoma Bravo, said the deal would result in a mediumterm boost to its earnings per share and would add close to 500 million of revenue.

Shares in Europe39;s largest defence electronics provider, which also makes civil aircraft parts and digital security systems, fell about 1.5 in early trading.

This really changes our scale in civil cybersecurity, Thales Chief Executive Patrice Caine told analysts, adding that the deal represented a rare opportunity to become a premium player on a global scale in cybersecurity.

Cyberattacks have become the top worry of global corporate executives, according to a recent survey by PwC. France last year opened a dedicated campus outside Paris to tackle the scourge of hacking.

Thales said the price of the deal implied an enterprise value of 17 times 2024 operating earnings.

These are punchy multiples for the aerospace defence industry but much more typical for the cybersecurity space, Jefferies analysts Chloe Lemarie said in a note.

Thales said buying Imperva would generate around 110 million of pretax synergies, including 50 million of cost savings and 60 million linked to revenue opportunities.

The deal will be financed by a mixture of cash…