IBM acquires compliance monitor

IBM has acquired Dutch security compliance and audit vendor Consul for an undisclosed sum.

The privately held company has developed a network monitoring application that allows companies to track, report and investigate unauthorized activities by staff members. Using role based profiles, the system for instance will alert administrators if an sales person tries to access files related to human resources.

The deal marks IBM's eleventh software acquisition of the year.

Security breaches by company insiders top the list of most common security threats. Disgruntled employees can either knowingly steal data, or inadvertently expose it when they attach them to emails or take home their corporate laptop computers. IBM furthermore claimed that 86 per cent of all internal security incidents are perpetrated by highly privileged and technical users.

The company was founded in 1991 and underwent rapid. The vendor underwent rapid growth following the corporate scandal with Enron and the terrorist attacks of 11 September, both of which drove compliance and security to the top of the corporate priority list. Clients include Ford, Koger, Office Depot and Fidelity Bank.

IBM plans to add the security software to its security suit with in the Tivoli software.

The acquisition is subject regulatory approval and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2007.