Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. on Tuesday acquired Van Dyke Technology Group Inc., a 180-person cybersecurity firm catering to government clients, in particular U.S. intelligence agencies. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Jacobs, based in Pasadena, sees the Van Dyke pickup as an addition to its roster of government IT services, but it also plans to use the firm’s cybersecurity expertise for private clients.

Computer systems at American businesses have been attacked in recent years by hackers attempting to steal intellectual property and customers’ personal data.

“Cybersecurity is a critical and growing need for clients in every market we serve, particularly private sector clients who own critical infrastructure in the heavy process, transportation, and industrial manufacturing industries,” Darren Kraabel, Jacobs senior vice president for aerospace and technology, said in statement. “Our clients are looking to protect their increasingly interconnected capital investments.”

Van Dyke’s cybersecurity services include user identity and access management software, as well as threat mitigation software for internal networks and cloud-based IT infrastructure.

Technology reporter Garrett Reim can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @garrettreim for the latest in L.A. tech news.