CA splashes out on Pest Patrol

A summer of security consolidation continued today with news that Computer Associates has bought privately owned vulnerability management firm Pest Patrol for an undisclosed all-cash sum.

Simon Perry, VP security strategy at CA, told silicon.com that "increased chatter from corporates regarding spyware" had encouraged CA to make the move for Pest Patrol, which includes protection against such applications, among other threats.

Perry added: "We see the addition of Pest Patrol as being a good rounding out of the overall threat management product suite, with tie-ins to both antivirus and vulnerability management strategy."

Earlier this month, taking part in silicon.com's security Q&A, Mike Small, director of security strategy at CA, said he expected to see a lot of security companies looking to bring in spyware management and prevention to their core products.

Although the move will perhaps surprise few in the industry, it does go against CA's 'no more acquisitions' line, announced in 2003. Even at the time, however, sources within the company suggested security would always be one area where that rule was a little more flexible.