McAfee announced on Tuesday it has bought Preventsys, highlighting an acquisition strategy announced in March.
Preventsys' security risk management products are used by companies to identify security issues and to monitor compliance with company policies and government regulations. Those traits made the company an attractive target, according to George Kurtz, senior vice president of risk management at McAfee. McAfee will use Preventsys' technology to bolster its risk management and compliance offerings.
"Customers want to take information from various technologies like networks and databases and get one simplified view of their overall security procedure," said Kurtz. Businesses are also looking to take their policies, audit them and see if they are compliant with other corporate procedures as well as government policies, a feature offered in Preventsys' PolicyLab, Kurtz said.
McAfee Chief Executive Officer and Chairman George Samenuk laid out a merger plan three months ago that calls for buying businesses with technology that can be quickly added to the company's lineup. Kurtz said that the acquisition, which has been finalized, supports this initiative. The Preventsys deal comes almost two months after McAfee announced its acquisition of Web-site rating company SiteAdvisor Inc.
McAfee sells a range of security products, including ones that guard against computer viruses.
Most of the staff from privately held Preventsys was retained. The acquisition cost McAfee "in the low millions," according to a representative from the company's public relations firm.