HP snaps up Fortify to boost apps security

HP has been collaborating with Fortify for some time

HP is to expand its capabilities in the software assurance space with the acquisition of Fortify Software for an undisclosed sum.

Fortify's products help customers to identify, detect and fix software vulnerabilities, reducing risk and helping to comply with stringent industry regulations such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard.

More recently the firm unveiled a hosted service designed to allow information security professionals and developers to test code for vulnerabilities.

"Businesses operate in a world of increasing security and compliance challenges, and the applications and services they rely on are core to the problem and the solution," said Bill Veghte, executive vice president of HP's Software and Solutions unit.

"With Fortify's leadership in static application security analysis, and HP's expertise in dynamic application security analysis, organisations will have a best-in-class solution to improve the security of their applications and services."

The acquisition will not come as a complete surprise to industry watchers, as the companies collaborated earlier this year on an integrated static and dynamic security analysis tool known as Hybrid 2.0.

The firms also made a commitment in June last year to integrate Fortify's 360 Static Application Security Testing technology into HP's Application Security Center and Quality Center products.

Fortify will initially operate as a standalone company after the acquisition, before being assimilated into HP Software and Solutions where its products will become part of the Business Technology Optimisation portfolio.