Security - DragNet thrown over Sniffer as NA buys Traxess

Security software vendor Network Associates has acquired US security software maker Traxess, so that it can expand the capabilities of its Sniffer technology.

Security software vendor Network Associates (NA) has acquired US security software maker Traxess, so that it can expand the capabilities of its Sniffer technology.

Traxess offers stream-to-disk technology for the capture, storage and recreation of network data traffic, including traffic on Gigabit-speed networks.

The deal, for an undisclosed sum, will see NA integrate Traxess's DragNet technology into its Enterprise Sniffer product. DragNet enables users to store traffic data on a network over a long period.

"Sniffer products will report for a few hours, but [DragNet] keeps hold of it," said Stuart Beattie, senior manager field marketing at NA.

The company has been carrying out research with its VARs, which have been asking for this type of technology to improve Sniffer, Beattie told CRN.

Users can discover the cause of a security breach by analysing traffic history at a later date. "You can look back at who did what and when," said Beattie.

It will become part of NA's Sniffer Distributed platform in the second quarter of next year. People have been asking for this type of technology to be integrated into the Sniffer product, Beattie said.

The vendor claimed the move will help its resellers enter new markets and broaden their offerings. It is training its existing VARs in the new technology as well as looking for new ones.

Sarah Whipp, EMEA marketing director at NA, said: "We are constantly looking for resellers to sell our products, and we will welcome any that want to specialise in them with open arms."

Ash Hussain, sales and marketing director at reseller Axial Systems, said the move was good news for enterprise customers that have large amounts of data going across their networks.

"Sniffer users have always needed more capabilities for volume data. This new technology gives it credibility in this area," he said.