RSA likes NetWitness so much it buys the company

EMC acquires the vendor whose technology helped it beat recent security attack

RSA has acquired NetWitness, the vendor that provided the technology that helped it combat its recent security breach.

The EMC-owned vendor revealed to analysts last week that the attack began with phishing emails sent to employees. Hackers gradually worked through the staff hierarchy until gaining access to, and then stealing, the desired files.

A blog post from Gartner distinguished analyst Avivah Litan reveals that RSA praised NetWitness technology for helping it detect the attack. She pointed out the irony of one of world's leading security vendors not relying on its own wares.

"The irony with RSA is that they don't eat their own dog food. In other words, they relied on yesterday's best of breed tools to prevent and detect the attack," she said. "I'm sure they are not the only company where this phenomenon is true. The old adage rings true - the shoemaker's children have no shoes."

The shoemaker has now seen fit to kit out his offspring, as RSA owner EMC has paid an undisclosed sum to acquire NetWitness. The Virginia-based network monitoring firm will slot straight into RSA's operations. Its new owner claimed NetWitness will be a cornerstone of its Advanced Security Management Solutions portfolio.

RSA president Tom Heiser (pictured) said: "NetWitness has redefined the security landscape, providing a powerful solution for organisations seeking to gain immediate insight, precise clarity and timely closure in the face of the toughest cyber threats."

NetWitness chief executive Amit Yoran added: "Joining RSA is a strategic move that will deliver significant benefit for NetWitness customers, partners and employees. EMC has a tremendous record of bringing together smart people and hot technologies and continuing to invest in them to accelerate growth and achieve their full market potential."