Symantec: Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

In the last 5 years Symantec has systematically acquired a big part of key companies in the IT security industry. Alone or through the Veritas acquisition.

In order:

• February 2000 - L-3 Network Security (vulnerability assessment)


• November 2000 - Network Storage Management Group of Seagate


• December 2000 - AXENT Technologies (IDS, content filtering, authentication, etc.)


• July 2001 - Foster-Melliar (security consulting)


• October 2001 - Lindner & Pelc (security consulting)


• July 2002 - Mountain Wave (audit and event managementi)


• August 2002 - Riptech (IDS), Recourse Technologies (honeypot and IDS), SecurityFocus (security awareness)


• October 2003 - Safeweb (SSL VPN)


• December 2003 - PowerQuest (storage management)


• January 2004 - Ejasent (application virtualization)


• February 2004 - ON Technology (updates management)


• June 2004 - Brightmail (antispam)


• July 2004 - TurnTide (antispam), Invio Software (automation tools)


• September 2004 - KVault Software Limited (email storaging)


• October 2004 - @stake (security consulting, creators of L0phtCrack), LIRIC (security consulting)


• December 2004 - Platform Logic (endpoint security)


• April 2005 - DataCenter Technologies (storage management)


• May 2005 - XtreamLok (antihacking systems)


• July 2005 - VERITAS (storage management)

The last one in chronological order is Sygate (endpoint security), dated August 2005.

Where Symantec is going? Someone could say is going to beecome the Microsoft of security. But in facts I personally believe it's going nowhere: the unbelievable amount of products and services available are never been integrated and in some cases even ceased the development after the acquisition.

The result is a complex and chaotic commercial offering, with some redundant solutions and many obsolete products.
If you ever visited the enterprisesecurity.symantec.com site you know what I'm talking about.
Though the potential is huge.

And meanwhile more and more vulnerabilities surface on most known company's products (just because the most known are the most spread).

Symantec I strongly suggest you to dedicate to development, to security and to integration of your products. And to the semplification of your commercial offering.. Not to the wild acquisition.


First update: Someone in Symantec possibly heard me, since the WholeSecurity (endpoint security) acquisition has been just announced.

And it's really strange since they just acquired Sygate for endpoint security.
Maybe they should have said just another one and we'll stop...


Second update: I don't know if this is just a coincidence or what: after Sygate and WholeSecurity now Symantec is acquiring BindView (policy compliancy and other services). In just one month.

At this poin we just need to wait they will go for Check Point or Enterasys.


Third update: New year, old habits for Symantec: on January 2006 they acquired IMlogic (istant messaging security).

I think I'll stop to track them cause it's becoming boring...


Fourth update: Instead focusing on integration, as I suggested, Symantec prefers to shut down business units. Another demostration of how weak the company strategy is.