The intelligent security solutions of listed company Sourcefire (NASDAQ: FIRE) will soon be an integral part of the Cisco product offerings. Today, Cisco announced a definitive agreement to acquire Sourcefire. Cisco plans to incorporate Sourcefire’s products, technologies and research teams, to provide continuous and pervasive advanced threat protection.
The Sourcefire solutions will enable Cisco to provide continuous and pervasive advanced threat protection across the entire attack continuum – before, during and after an attack – and from any device to any cloud. The acquisition of Sourcefire adds a team with deep security DNA to Cisco and will accelerate delivery of Cisco’s security strategy of defending, discovering, and remediating advanced threats.
Sourcefire: 650 employees
Sourcefire was founded in 2001 and completed its initial public offering in 2007. The company delivers highly automated security through continuous awareness, threat detection and protection across its product portfolio, including next-generation intrusion prevention systems, next-generation firewalls, and advanced malware protection. Sourcefire is based in Columbia, MD, and has more than 650 employees worldwide. For the full year ended December 31, 2012, Sourcefire reported revenue of $223.1 million, an increase of 35 percent year-over-year.
The acquisition is expected to close during the second half of calendar year 2013, subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory reviews. Once the transaction closes, Cisco will include Sourcefire into its guidance going forward. Prior to the close, Cisco and Sourcefire will continue to operate as separate companies. Upon completion of the transaction Sourcefire employees will join the Cisco Security Group led by Christopher Young.
“The notion of the ‘perimeter’ no longer exists and today’s sophisticated threats are able to circumvent traditional, disparate security products. Organizations require continuous and pervasive advanced threat protection that addresses each phase of the attack continuum,” said Christopher Young, senior vice president, Cisco Security Group. “With the acquisition of Sourcefire, we believe our customers will benefit from one of the industry’s most comprehensive, integrated security solutions – one that is simpler to deploy, and offers better security intelligence.”
