SYMANTEC TO ACQUIRE SECURITYFOCUS !

Another "good site" is gone for good!

CUPERTINO, Calif. - July 17, 2002 - Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced the acquisition of SecurityFocus for approximately US$75 million in cash. With this acquisition, Symantec will offer customers the most comprehensive, proactive early warning system across the broadest range of threats. The transaction is expected to close by early to mid-August 2002.

"SecurityFocus has established the most respected security community and developed one of the leading early warning systems for customers around the world," said John W. Thompson, Symantec chairman and chief executive officer. "This acquisition will broaden Symantec's leadership in Internet security response with the addition of the world's first global threat management system, the most complete vulnerability database and customizable alert services."

"We have developed our global threat management systems to provide customers with timely and actionable information relevant to their individual networks," said Arthur Wong, SecurityFocus co-founder and chief executive officer. "Combined with Symantec's world-class antivirus expertise, industry-leading intrusion detection solutions and back-end infrastructure, we can rapidly deploy the most comprehensive threat management solutions to our global customers worldwide."

more: http://www.securityfocus.com/corporate/press/pressrel/50.shtml


Technodrome

 

So I am sure there some old enough here to know the story of Peter
Norton? Started out writing his own software as all the rest of your favorites did in their youth.
My guess is over the years, by comparison, his software has cured and helped more PC's than any other antivirus, utilities you might mention.
Any arguments here?
Isn't Mr. Arthur Wong AS bad for selling out.
The buyer is no worse than the seller. Remember that
I am usualy one to stick up for the underdog, but not in this case.
I guess this will go on and on and on and on

 

At bottom end, where we lowly consumers sit, I'd say the price of Symantec Products will probably go up! I can see they are angling for repectability and those huge government budgets for Security solutions.

 

Paul - have you had wilders.org / wilderssecurity.com valued recently?

 

Good to hear, any new owners would need to offer me a substantial raise

 

Looks like Symatec will acquire Riptech too.
read: http://www.net-security.org/press.php?id=907

Symantec to Acquire Recourse Technologies
read: http://www.net-security.org/press.php?id=906

Is this a case where "one big fish eats 3 small fish to live"?


Technodrome

 

I stopped trying to keep up...
When I Beta Tested for Quarterdeck and Symantec bought is out
I knew I couldn't keep up LOL
Eliminating the compitition or Improving Security world wide?

 

What future will brings us?

Two Antivirus Products and One Firewall!

Symantec plans to reduce competition and rise the product price!

Nice strategy!


Technodrome

 

Yeah, and a proven one, also. Don't need to look at computers; look at automobiles (how many companies were there in the late 50s; how many today?); look at soft drinks; look at junk food; look at TVs.

Works quite well, apparently -- but not necessarily to our advantage.

Still, I see a marked distinction between Symantec picking up Security Focus, on the one hand, and Symantec trying to consolidate the software product market (in areas not already 'owned' by Microsoft), on the other.

Even as a user of Symantec products, neither strategy is comforting to me.

Especially with regards to security issues, I've always felt that a great deal of it comes from the multiplicity of products based on widely divergent technologies from different vendors. That's a bitch for the bad guys to solve. When consolidation starts, the number of 'considerations' the black hats have to contend with also declines.

Who remembers when there were tens of PC-based word processors and hundreds of add-on vendors? Hell, who remembers when a word processor was just a word processor? Before it became an outliner, a spell checker, a grammar checker, an HTML editor, and a desktop publishing solution -- all wrapped in one. For that matter, who remembers when one used to buy word processors, spreadsheets, database apps, and telecommunications apps from different vendors, rather than buying an "Office Suite"? Are we better off now as a consequence of fewer products from fewer vendors? I don't think so.

These guys like to run around using their success to extol the benefits of Adam Smith's definition of capitalism. Well, dudes, this ain't capitalism. Quite frankly, it's much closer to Joan Robinson's definitions of an alternative economic model based on oligopolies and oligopsonies. And the verdict on her model is till pending. (Umm, Joan wasn't advocating; she was just describing; lest anyone take that wrong.)

 

Only a fool with lots of time would want a computer rittled with
many different uncompatiable office programs instead of a nice
neat package.

Mr. Morris, I DO remember all the things you mentioned and I like it far better now.

In grade school they used Apple
In College they used IMB
In Buisness they used IBM
What really P I S S E S me off is the fact everybody wants
Secure Stable operating systems and then when they get them
or the company such as MS works more and more towards that goal, everybody is still whining and talking the same old companies down.
I understand cheering for the underdog and all but geezzz
STOP allready

 

Oh, dear, I must have pulled a chain somewhere! Actually, I didn't find them 'uncompatible'; it just took a bit more work than it does from relying on MS Office. What I do know is that I don't have the variety of choices that I had then.

First, could we drop the Mr. Morris? I prefer Joseph, Joe, yomama, or anything else, as previously noted. (Besides, it confuses my father.)
I must admit that I run MS Office at the moment. Is it out of choice? Well, no, quite actually. It's simply that I don't have any choice. Indeed, it's much like the fact that whereas I preferred Volvos from 1972 until rather recently; I don't have a choice anymore. If I now buy a Volvo, I'm really buying a Ford. Quite frankly, I felt much safer in that 1980 Volvo 245 than I would in a current Volvo (not to mention that the damage quotient is now far higher).
Still, the situation is far different when we move from 'office' applications to 'security' applications. (And please note, I'm a NIS user at the moment.) You see, I do believe in security by diversity (as opposed to security by obscurity). I have no problem with people that prefer diverse applications for security purposes as opposed to the 'suite' currently provided by others. (I tried to make this response to root at one point, but I don't think it got posted.) Actually, I think that's a very good idea.
We got 95% of us relying on Microsoft's operating systems, and 90% of us now relying on Microsoft Office applications. Do I feel more secure as a consequence? No, I do not. Actually, I feel that this development has simply allowed the 'black hats' to focus their efforts.
And, quite frankly, I think we would all be better served if the diversity of possibilities were to return -- but I don't have high hopes.

Well, you were a lucky guy, I suppose, in one way. I personally never saw a microcomputer in grade school or college (primarily because they didn't exist at that point). However, in the business world, I saw CP/M, DOS, Windows, Apple DOS (now Mac DOS), *NIX, and several other OSs that seem to escape me at moment. Do I feel more secure now that we've reduced the number of OSs? Not hardly. (Your mileage may vary.)

I think you've read something into my prior posting that simply was not there. I'm not exactly sure what it was, since you don't make it clear. I'm not a Microsoft 'basher' (if that's what's on your mind), but I do feel free to complain if I feel Microsoft screws up. I haven't been on a non-MS OS in probably ten years now. My comments, as I read them back, had nothing to do with MS' Operating Systems, but rather with the lack of viable options.
If you, personally, prefer a world in which all automobiles are made by either Ford Motor Company or General Motors, that's fine with me. If you prefer a world in which all home security system are only available from only two manufacturers, hey, guy, that's your choice. I don't like that; it makes me quite nervous.
Did I miss something you were trying to say?

 

Hey Yomama LOL

My words were ment for some of the others that read my ramblings
Besides we Norton users must stick together
I have read your posts and see you do use Norton by choice.
Sorry if is sounds like I had computers in grade school or even high school. Yes,, I do believe they did have a few at that time but were made from vacume tubes and the size of a small warehouse.
I did get a chance to see the technology used to put a man on the moon and wheww!!!!!!!! I sure would not have gone LOL