AVG to incorporate LinkScanner in further consolidation of security offerings.
Grisoft
, developer of the
AVG
security product whose free version is widely deployed on home-user desktops, has announced the acquisition of
Exploit Prevention Labs
, a small firm whose headline product
LinkScanner
focuses on detecting exploit attempts in web pages before they are visited.
LinkScanner
is designed to spot attempts to exploit vulnerable software by websites, and to block such attempts until vulnerabilities can be patched. A ‘Lite’ version of the product is made available free, and is expected to be rolled into the free-for-personal-use version of
AVG
, while the more fully featured versions will become part of
Grisoft
‘s expanding product line, which includes the
Ewido
anti-spyware solution the company acquired last spring.
Financial details of the deal have not been released, but the acquisition was supported by
Intel Capital
investment, who bought a sizeable stake in
Grisoft
just over two years ago. Industry veteran and
Exploit Prevention Labs
co-founder Roger Thompson will become Chief Research Officer at
Grisoft
, while other staff and facilities will also be absorbed into the
Grisoft
operation.
The move follows a string of acquisitions in the security marketplace recently, with many security firms expanding to cover a broader spectrum of threats. Anti-spyware specialist
Webroot
merged
with email and web filtering firm
Email Systems
, while
Symantec
and
Trend Micro
have bought into data leak prevention and
McAfee
has invested in
encryption
and
website trust rating
firms, all in the last few months.
Full details of the
Grisoft
acquisition can be found on its website
here
, with some more from
Exploit Prevention Labs
here
.
Posted on 05 December 2007 by
Virus Bulletin
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