Matt Hines

Symantec released its latest security information management product on Jan. 16, an appliance that promises to help businesses more effectively correlate and store data related to almost every element of their IT defenses. Dubbed the Symantec Security Information Manager 4.5, the new appliance boasts the ability to allow organizations to better collect and prioritize information […]

In positioning itself to provide aftermarket applications for Microsoft’s Vista operating system, anti-virus market leader Symantec is highlighting some shortcomings it believes to exist in the new platform’s own security tools. Among the conclusions of a presentation delivered to the media during the week of Jan. 8 by Symantec Vice President of Engineering Rowan Trollope […]

Among the long list of bills reintroduced with the opening of the U.S. Congress on Jan. 5 were two filed by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., aimed at forcing companies to better protect consumer information and publicly report any potential mishandlings. However, according to a range of IT security researchers, businesses should be just as afraid […]

Sophos introduced the first version of its new Web content filtering and applications control appliance on Jan. 9, and said that it will offer additional protection against suspicious online content via a partnership with SurfControl. Known as the WS1000, the security appliance marks Sophos’ initial entry into the Web content filtering space. In addition to […]

McAfee announced the hiring of three senior-level executives Jan. 8, adding a chief security officer along with two other line-of-business leaders. The Santa Clara, Calif.-based security software maker brought onboard individuals to fill three roles that have not previously been maintained at the firm, announcing the hiring of Martin Carmichael as its first CSO, along […]

While some industry watchers were surprised by the $830 million price tag that Cisco Systems agreed to pay for messaging security specialists IronPort, most analysts agree that the deal opens a range of new opportunities for the networking giant. In addition to improving the technological underpinnings necessary to deliver the “self-defending network,” experts said that […]

Cisco Systems announced on Jan. 4 that it has agreed to buy IronPort, a provider of messaging and Web security appliances, for approximately $830 million. The San Jose, Calif.-based networking giant reported that the deal will consist of a cash and stock transaction, and that it is planning to close the merger sometime during the […]

Security software maker Credant announced Jan. 3 that it has won a deal to provide full-disk encryption technology for all laptops controlled by the U.S. General Services Administration, which could give the firm a leg-up in negotiations with other federal agencies looking for similar tools. Credant, based in Addison, Texas, said that the GSA awarded […]

With 41 new attacks carried out during the month of December alone, 2006 proved to be a significant growth year for threats distributed over instant messaging systems. According to a new research report produced by security software maker Akonix Systems, in San Diego, experts at the company unearthed some 406 new IM-borne threats over the […]

Software maker Kaspersky Lab has released its initial anti-virus products that support Microsoft’s new Vista operating system. Shipped on Dec. 28, the software is a beta version of a maintenance update for Kaspersky’s Anti-Virus 6.0 and Internet Security products that includes the new support for Vista, which was introduced by Microsoft in mid-November 2006. While […]

Initial feedback for Microsoft’s new Vista software development interfaces appears to be largely positive, which could signal an end to lingering doubts over the company’s willingness to grant sufficient access to the kernel of its latest operating system. Microsoft shared an initial set of drafts for its new Vista APIs with security software developers Dec. […]

Security software maker Websense announced Dec. 20 that it has signed an agreement to acquire data leakage prevention specialist PortAuthority Technologies for approximately $90 million in cash. Through the deal, Websense is attempting to expand its footprint beyond the malicious content identification sector and offer security tools that provide enterprises with both external protection for […]