Firewall and virtual private network hardware and software maker NetScreen Technologies Inc. is adding intrusion detection and prevention systems to its list of products, thanks to the acquisition of OneSecure Inc.
NetScreen purchased OneSecure for US$40.3 million in NetScreen stock and the assumption of OneSecure's outstanding options, the Sunnyvale, California, NetScreen said in a statement Thursday. OneSecure is also based in Sunnyvale, California.
NetScreen offers a broad selection of hardware appliances and software that run firewalls and virtual private networks (VPNs). The company is increasingly coming to challenge market leaders Check Point Software Technologies Ltd. and Cisco Systems Inc. in these areas.
The acquisition will allow it to move into a new market -- intrusion detection and prevention -- the company said.
Along with a new range of security features, the acquisition of OneSecure also brings NetScreen a new security appliance. OneSecure currently sells the Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) system, which offers users a distributed system with which they can work to protect their networks. The IDP system includes intrusion detection and prevention using attack signatures, anomaly detection for both traffic and protocols, denial of service protection and spoofing protection in its suite of features.
The deal is expected to close, pending standard approvals, within 30 days, NetScreen said in its statement. The company will immediately offer the IDP system after the deal closes, NetScreen said.
In the first half of 2003, NetScreen will integrate some of the IDP system's features into its existing product line, as well as work to enhance the IDP and merge the two company's management software, the company said. In the longer term, NetScreen intends to develop the chips and other hardware required to integrate the OneSecure technology into a single security gateway, the company said.