Blue Coat to acquire big data security analytics player Solera Networks

Online security vendor Blue Coat Systems is to acquire big data security analytics firm Solera Networks for an undisclosed sum.

The deal is expected to close within the next 30 days, and will allow Blue Coat to build out its product portfolio to include Solera's tranche of enterprise-focused security software products and appliances.

The vendor's DeepSee brand of products are designed to help organisations quickly detect data breaches, as well as mine big data sets for security insight and analytics purposes.

In a statement, announcing the deal, Blue Coat said the merger will allow it to combine Solera's real-time intelligence and forensic capabilities with its web-based threat knowledge and, in turn, allow companies to take a more proactive approach to tackling emerging security threats.

"This comprehensive web intelligence combined with the ability of Solera's DeepSee software and appliances to provide an historic record of all network traffic will enable enterprises to efficiently identify and resolve the full scope of advanced threats," the statement claimed.

Greg Clark, chief executive of Blue Coat, said the merger will help the company respond to security threats in real-time.

"Today's approach to securing the enterprise is missing an essential element the ability to defend, react and resolve security issues by efficiently mining a very large dataset of network history to gain previously unavailable insights," he said.

"Retrospective capture and analytics are now an essential component of modern security architecture, and Solera has pioneered this field, creating a DVR for the network that records traffic and allows customers to easily mine that information."