Ixia to Acquire Cyber Security Firm BreakingPoint Systems

BreakingPoint Systems, a company that specializes in security testing, will be acquired by Ixia, a provider of network visibility and converged IP network validation solutions, for around $160 million (126 million EUR) in cash.

The acquisition, which will take place sometime in the third quarter of 2012, will enable Ixia to offer complete monitoring, testing and optimization solutions for converged networks.

The organization is highly aware of the fact that without security and performance testing even the most complex data centers and networks could face problems because of cyberattacks, and the fact that BreakingPoint serves private and government organizations worldwide makes it a perfect candidate for the job.

“Joining forces with Ixia creates a powerful platform in security and application testing – one with an extensive global sales reach into enterprises, service providers, and government agencies,” Dennis Cox, co-founder and CTO of BreakingPoint, said.

At the moment, BreakingPoint possesses a library of over 34,000 exploits, attacks and pieces of malware, resources that could be of great aid to Ixia.

“The current threat landscape is changing everything –from the way we conduct business, to how we protect data and secure infrastructures, to the ways we train cyber warriors,” said Ixia President and CEO Vic Alston.

“This dynamic IT landscape is creating a growing demand for solutions that provide definitive and current insight into the resiliency of critical IT infrastructures and defenses. The use of disparate testing tools, threat intelligence, and monitoring products allows dangerous security vulnerabilities that erode the security posture of businesses and government agencies.”

This is the second acquisition made by Ixia this year. The company has recently acquired Anue Systems, another network visibility firm for the amount of $145 million (114 million EUR).

Both these purchases are expected to considerably increase the organization’s revenue for the upcoming period.