McAfee VARs to plug data-leak technology

Security vendor claims it will expand its risk management offerings for the enterprise

McAfee has promised to deliver data-leak-prevention technology to channel partners within six months, following its $20m acquisition of vendor Onigma last week.

The security vendor claimed the acquisition will boost resellers’ product portfolios and expand its security risk management offerings for the enterprise market.

Chris Bolin, executive vice-president at McAfee, told CRN: “Within six months we will deliver a product to help protect against data-leak prevention. It’s an emerging market and most enterprise businesses are already budgeting for it. This is also a largely untouched market that will provide plenty of opportunity for our VARs.”

McAfee Data Loss Prevention will be delivered by April next year. It will be host-based and targeted at enterprise users. The vendor claimed that the software will protect end-users from the risks associated with unauthorised data transfers from outside or within their business.

Liad Agmon, co-founder of Onigma, said: “This proactive technology complements McAfee’s approach to security risk management. It will help its users address the problem of information leaks before it happens.”

Ash Hussain, sales and marketing director at McAfee VAR Axial Systems, told CRN that it already receives requests for data-loss-prevention software from enterprise businesses in the legal and financial sectors.

“This will provide an opportunity for the channel,” he said. “The technology sounds interesting, but we will still need to test the product once it comes through.”

The announcement follows the recent exit of two high-profile executives from McAfee. George Samenuk retired as chairman two weeks ago and Kevin Weiss, president of McAfee, lost his job surrounding an ongoing stock option scandal.

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