IBM today announced that it has acquired CrossIdeas, a privately held provider of Access Governance software that helps organizations manage user access to applications and data across on-premise and cloud environments.
With this acquisition, IBM is adding advanced analytics capabilities to its portfolio of software designed to manage how access to applications and data is secured, an IBM spokesperson told SecurityWeek.
Founded in 2011 and based in Rome, Italy, CrossIdeas’s technology helps organizations meet compliance, audit and access risk management requirements.
“IBM can now provide enterprises with enhanced governance capabilities and transparency into risk from the factory floor to the board room, giving leaders the insight they need to protect their brand and customers,” Brendan Hannigan, General Manager, IBM Security Systems, said in a statement.
IBM provided an example of how CrossIdeas’ technology could be used to detect what should be a security policy violation before it becomes a security risk.
“For example, a stock trader working in a financial institution may be promoted and given access to approve trades in a new system while retaining access to enter trades in the previous system,” IBM explained. “This dual access may constitute a segregation of duties violation, which could expose the institution to failing a compliance requirement. With CrossIdeas’ technology, auditors and managers could detect and remediate the segregation of duties violation before it becomes a security risk and audit exposure.”
“CrossIdeas is very excited to become part of IBM through this acquisition,” said Alberto Ocello, Chief Executive Officer at CrossIdeas. “The innovative technology of CrossIdeas’ IDEAS solution strongly complements IBM’s Identity and Access Management portfolio and we are proud to contribute to IBM’s worldwide expansion in the IT security market.”
IBM has made more than a dozen acquisitions in security over the past decade and has had double-digit revenue growth for six consecutive quarters, with the company holding the #4 spot in the overall security software market in 2013, according to IDC.
Financial terms of the CrossIdeas acquisition were not disclosed.