HP Acquires Voltage Security | Data Encryption Security Solutions
February 9, 2015 • Blog Post • By Art Gilliland, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Enterprise Security Products
As our IT systems continue to evolve and grow more complex, so do our security needs. Today, sensitive information is everywhere in cloud and big data environments, on mobile platforms, with employees scattered around the world, and, as the Internet of Things market grows, even more devices than we could have imagined.
As a result, we are facing a new paradigm in enterprise security that requires organizations to protect not just their systems, but the data itself. What our customers need is a solution that protects sensitive information from the moment its created throughout its entire lifecycle.
Thats why today, Im excited to announce that HP has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Voltage Security®, a leading data security provider. Voltages proven data-centric encryption and tokenization technology will complement HP Atalla, HP's information security and encryption business, helping our customers protect their most sensitive information whether it lives in the cloud, across mobile platforms, in big data environments, or within legacy computer systems for critical regulatory compliance. This announcement aligns with HP's focus on end-to-end protection of the data itself, helping enterprises neutralize the impact of a breach and proactively combat new security threats.
HP is a trusted security partner across many industries, including financial services, healthcare, retail and the public sector. And last year, we introduced new HP Atalla offerings to help organizations take a more proactive defense against adversaries.
Voltages powerful data-centric protection solutions will join the HP Atalla portfolio, expanding HPs offerings in data classification, payments security, encryption, tokenization and enterprise key management. With Voltage, HP plans to offer customers unparalleled data protection capabilities built to close the gaps that exist in traditional encryption and tokenization approaches. This is particularly important for enterprises that interact with financial payments systems, manage workloads in the cloud, or whose sensitive data flows into Hadoop for analytics making them attractive targets for cyber-attackers.
Voltage delivers highly innovative security solutions that are an ideal match for supporting and expanding the HP Atalla portfolio. Our HP Atalla business helped invent the security you take for granted in banking, and today protects 70% of U.S. payment card transactions. Voltage enables end-to-end protection of payments systems, from card swipe to back-end tokenization, serving six of the largest payment processors in the U.S.today.
Importantly, Voltage's solutions allow enterprises to use protected data in applications without having to re-architect their applications or adopt fragmented frameworks. This capability extends from the data center to cloud and Hadoop environments, all under a single framework.
Finally, Voltages innovative Identity Based Encryption technology allows for a more simple enterprise email security system on premise and on mobile devices.
HP's fifth annual Cost of Cyber Crime Study found that the average annual cost of cyber crime for a U.S. organization is $12.7 million. This cost has nearly doubled since the study was initiated. The average time to detect a cyber attack is now 170 days, and we have seen a 176 percent increase in the number of cyber attacks since 2010, with organizations experiencing an average of 138 successful attacks per week.
With so much at stake, data security is clearly not just an IT issue, but a business imperative and a global security priority. With the addition of Voltage, HP will continue to serve as a highly trusted security platform across industries, protecting the most sensitive information of organizations transitioning to the New Style of IT.
The transaction is expected to close in the first half of fiscal 2015, subject to customary closing conditions.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS
This blog posts contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. If such risks or uncertainties materialize or such assumptions prove incorrect, the results of HP and its consolidated subsidiaries could differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and assumptions. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including but not limited to the expected benefits and costs of the transaction; management plans relating to the transaction; the expected timing of the completion of the transaction; statements of the plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements concerning expected development, performance, market share or competitive performance relating to products and services; any statements regarding anticipated operational and financial results; any statements of expectation or belief; and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. Risks, uncertainties and assumptions include the possibility that expected benefits may not materialize as expected; risks related to the timing or ultimate completion of the transaction; and other risks that are described in HPs Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014 and HP's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. HP assumes no obligation and does not intend to update these forward-looking statements.
Consultation with Employee Representatives
For those countries that require consultation with works councils or other employee representatives in relation to a local implementation of the acquisition of Voltage Security, this is not intended to provide country-specific information and in no way reflects that final decisions have been made at a local level. With respect to such countries, final decisions are subject to prior consultation with works councils and other employee representatives.