Microsoft acquires Sybari to boost security

Microsoft has acquired security company Sybari Software to offer its customers software to protect their e-mail and application servers against viruses, worms and spam.

The Sybari acquisition, for an undisclosed sum, comes after Microsoft acquired Giant in the US for its anti-spyware technology last December, and also GeCAD of Romania in 2003 for its anti-virus expertise.

"Enterprise customers face a complex set of attacks through their e-mail and collaboration infrastructure," said Mike Nash, Microsoft corporate vice-president of the security business and technology unit.

"Through this acquisition we’ll be able to provide customers with a server-level anti-virus solution that delivers advanced file and content-filtering capabilities with the use of multiple scan engines, to give customers up-to-date protection," he said.

Microsoft has not said when it expects to bundle Sybari’s technology into its security solutions. It has already released its first anti-spyware program in a beta version, using Giant’s signature database technology.