CA Makes A 'Pest' Of Itself

CA on Monday said it acquired antispyware vendor PestPatrol, Carlisle, Pa., in an all-cash transaction, the details of which were not revealed.

PestPatrol technology will become CA's eTrust PestPatrol. The antispyware technology will also be integrated into CA's eTrust Threat Management software portfolio, according to executives at CA, Islandia, N.Y.

The acquisition gives CA added clout in a security market where the detection and removal of spyware, adware, Trojan horse programs and other rogue agents that can monitor PC use and manipulate users and networks, has become a hot issue.

"PestPatrol has done a superlative job of addressing the entire spectrum of nonvirus malware threats that have become so annoying and dangerous for PC users inside and outside the enterprise," said Russell Artzt, executive vice president of eTrust security management at CA, in a statement.

In addition, the PestPatrol Center for Pest Research, a service that offers computer users free advice on how to delete malicious code and prevent infection, will be incorporated into CA's Security Advisor service, CA executives said.

PestPatrol's staff of 70 will be given the option to stay on as CA employees. No layoffs are planned, a CA representative said.

News of the acquisition came less than five days after Mark Barrenechea, CA's executive vice president of product development, gave the industry the heads-up that it would begin seeking acquisitions.