IBM Acquires Guardium to Enhance Database Security and Monitoring

Strategic Insights -

IBM has acquired Guardium, a leader in real-time enterprise database monitoring and protection, to help clients safeguard data, monitor database activity, and reduce operational costs by automating regulatory compliance tasks. The acquisition is part of IBM's strategy to provide clients with trusted information infrastructures and enable them to maintain control over their data access activities while preventing fraud. Guardium's technology will be integrated into IBM's Information Management Software portfolio to help organizations safely realize the promise of business analytics and drive smarter business outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

  • IBM has acquired Guardium, a privately held company based in Waltham, Massachusetts, to enhance its database security and monitoring capabilities.
  • Guardium's technology helps clients safeguard data, monitor database activity, and reduce operational costs by automating regulatory compliance tasks.
  • The acquisition will enable IBM clients to maintain trusted information infrastructures by continuously monitoring access and activity to protect high-value databases against threats from legitimate users and potential hackers.
  • Guardium's technology is designed for cross-platform environments and identifies patterns and anomalies in data access and usage, allowing organizations to maintain the integrity of their data and turn it into a strategic business asset.
  • The monitoring capabilities of Guardium's technology also detect fraud and unauthorized access via enterprise applications such as ERP, CRM, or Data Warehousing solutions.
  • The acquisition will help organizations simplify compliance with industry and government mandates, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
  • The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is a example of a client that has benefited from Guardium's technology, which provides granular visibility into all database transactions and protects the privacy and integrity of their critical data.
  • According to the IBM Global CIO Study, one in three business leaders frequently make decisions based on information they do not trust or do not have; Guardium's technology can help prevent this by providing real-time monitoring and control over data access.
  • The acquisition extends IBM's business analytics strategy and is part of a broader effort to provide clients with comprehensive solutions for safeguarding critical enterprise information and preventing fraud.
  • This is IBM's 28th acquisition to support its Information Management strategy, which has invested more than $12 billion in organic growth and acquisitions.

Statistics:

  • IBM has acquired Guardium, a leader in real-time enterprise database monitoring and protection, to enhance its database security and monitoring capabilities.
  • Guardium's technology helps clients safeguard data, monitor database activity, and reduce operational costs by automating regulatory compliance tasks.
  • More than 9 million credit and debit card transactions were processed by the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) in a year, making it a top-tier Level 1 merchant by the PCI-DSS standard.
  • According to the IBM Global CIO Study, one in three business leaders frequently make decisions based on information they do not trust or do not have.
  • IBM has invested more than $12 billion in organic growth and acquisitions to support its Information Management strategy.
  • The acquisition is part of a broader effort to provide clients with comprehensive solutions for safeguarding critical enterprise information and preventing fraud.

Sources:

  • IBM press release
  • IBM Information Management Software portfolio
  • Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) press release
  • IBM Global CIO Study
  • Information Technology Newsweekly editors from staff and other reports (Copyright 2009, Information Technology Newsweekly via VerticalNews.com)