Symantec agrees to acquire Gideon Technologies

Symantec Corp. plans to acquire Gideon Technologies Inc., a provider of information security solutions that automate IT security and risk management,  Symantec announced today. 

The deal will extend Symantec's security portfolio for public sector clients, company officials said.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the March quarter. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Gideon’s Security Content Automation Protocol technology is a suite of specifications that standardize the format and nomenclature that security software products use to communicate software flaws and security configuration information. It is used to automate vulnerability and patch checking, technical control compliance activities and security measurement.

The standard is a requirement of federal government agencies, according to Symantec.

“As the U.S. government continues to make the cybersecurity of our country’s public and private infrastructures a priority, Symantec will support public sector customers with standards-based solutions that meet their complex compliance requirements with the highest degree of accuracy,” said Gigi Schumm, vice president and general manager public sector at Symantec.

The acquisition of Gideon Technologies’ SecureFusion product will complement Symantec’s compliance offerings and integrate with the Symantec Management Platform, according to Symantec.