Friday, 3 November 2006

IronPort to Acquire E-mail Encryption Provider, PostX

Internet gateway security vendor IronPort has plans to acquire e-mail encryption vendor PostX Corporation in an all-stock transaction.

"The email security space is clearly entering a consolidation phase," said Peter Christy, co-founder and analyst at NetsEdge Research. "IronPort is one of only a few vendors with the momentum to be a consolidator. This move gives them control of the e-mail encryption technology. I suspect we will see more of this type activity in the near future."

"Often times e-mail is a convenient way for sensitive or private information to propagate into the wrong hands. The PostX technology allows a sender to truly recall a message, meaning that the recipient cannot open it once it has been recalled", said Cayce Ullman, CEO of PostX. "For those e-mail users that have accidentally hit 'reply all' when they meant to hit 'reply', the value of this feature is self-evident."

IronPort integrates the PostX technology into the sender's infrastructure, without requiring end-user involvement. Using IronPort's compliance suite and Web-based E-mail Security Manager, an IT team can reliably identify sensitive email-borne information and then automatically apply the PostX encryption system. The recipient receives an e-mail (secured with the PostX Envelope) that, when opened, reveals a familiar interface to authenticate the reader and allow the email to be viewed, the company said.