Websense snags PortAuthority for US$90 million

By joining forces, solutions from both companies will "help organisations prevent the unauthorised use or disclosure of confidential data while simultaneously protecting users from external malicious threats," according to a joint statement issued today by San Diego-based Websense and Palo Alto, Calif.-based PortAuthority.

The leak prevention market is one of the fastest growing segments of the IT security market, analysts have said. IDC predicts the data-centric content control market will soar from US$194 million next year to US$435 million in 2009, according to the statement.

"Today's high impact security threats aren't about a worm overloading your mail system," Gene Hodges, Websense CEO, said. "They are about people stealing your proprietary information."

The deal is expected to close in January, upon which time Websense will assume the assets and liabilities of PortAuthority, which includes US$5 million in working capital and US$4 million in debt.

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