Check Point Software Technologies is looking to add encryption to its product portfolio by bidding to acquire Sweden-based Protect Data, parent company of mobile encryption vendor Pointsec.
The deal, valued at approximately $586 million and subject to shareholder approval, would extend Check Point's offerings to include data encryption for enterprise mobile and removable storage devices, said Dave Burton, director of product marketing at Check Point, which is based in Israel and has offices in Redwood City, Calif.
Pointsec's ability to encrypt data on notebook PCs and mobile devices would complement the endpoint security features of Check Point's Integrity offering, which scans devices to ensure they're free of malware before allowing them to connect, according to Burton. Check Point's strategy has been to make its security products manageable through its centralized NGX security architecture, and Burton declined to comment on whether Pointsec would be part of that integration.
When it comes to encryption, customers are looking for products that are easily manageable, and integrating mobile encryption into NGX would be a step in the right direction, said Joe Luciano, CEO of Access IT Group, Mountain Lakes, N.J.
Check Point's bid for Pointsec will help the vendor get on board at a critical stage in the development of the market for encryption products, said Greg Hanchin, principal of DirSec, a Centennial, Colo.-based integrator. "Our business is way up on the encryption side, and this deal would make it easier for us to go to customers and start conversations around encryption," he said.
Dale Mitchell, general manager at Cincinnati-based solution provider Data Processing Sciences, said getting into the encryption space would be a shrewd move for Check Point. "Encryption is becoming more of a requirement for clients, and it's something that increasingly has to be baked into whatever solution you're looking at," he noted.
However, while adding Pointsec would be a good first step, Mitchell says he'd like to see Check Point add more technologies in order to re-establish its relevance in the industry.
Check Point would be the latest vendor to diversify its offerings by picking up an encryption vendor. Earlier this month, Ironport announced plans to acquire email encryption firm PostX.
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