Symantec is to acquire the highly-regarded IT security
consultancy @Stake for an undisclosed sum.
The move comes a few months after it bought Brightmail and a
month after Symantec's arch rival McAfee bought a similar outfit,
Foundstone.
@Stake markets specialised security management software and a
suite of vulnerability and assessment services under the SmartRisk
banner.
Symantec will also have been attracted by its client list, which
is claimed to include many of the world’s largest financial
institutions.
@Stake was founded by a group of self-declared “grey-hat”
hackers who sought to turn a profit from their expertise by playing
by the rules while remaining independent of suppliers.
A year ago, the company created a stir after contributing to a
CCIA-sponsored report that claimed that Microsoft’s dominance of
the software industry was having a negative effect on security.
John E Dunn writes for Techworld.com