RSA acquires authentication company

Identity and access management firm RSA Security has snapped up authentication services provider Cyota in a US$145 million deal.

The deal to acquire the privately held firm broadens RSA's portfolio and also brings on board a wealth of expertise in the financial services industry, with firms such as Bank of America, Barclays, Capital One, HBOS and RBS listed among Cyota's customers for consumer antifraud and authentication offerings.

Art Coviello, president and CEO of RSA Security, said the deal enables RSA to focus more actively on the consumer side of the industry as banks begin to feel increasing pressure to make available services for stronger online authentication in light of phishing and identity fraud.

Speaking earlier this year, Coviello said banks that do not roll out stronger authentication will soon start to feel the pinch.

"People will vote with their feet. They may not change their bank but they may not bank online anymore," he said. "Banks who aren't doing this will be forced to change."

And it's not just banking. The combined RSA and Cyota offering will also play well in the e-commerce market, Coviello said in a statement on Monday.

The deal is expected to close by the end of the year.

Silicon.com's Will Sturgeon reported from London. For more coverage from Silicon.com, click here.

Like this article? Click below to send it to your mobile for free!

Talkback 0 comments


Sponsored content

Power Centre - Content from our premier sponsors

Blogs

  • Renai LeMay StartupCamp Melbourne: The review
    StartupCamp Melbourne looks to have produced just as interesting ideas as the Sydney event which immediately preceded it, but the Victorian start-ups appear to have stumbled during execution. Sydney 1, Melbourne 0.
  • Array Google should come clean on datacentres
    It's nice that Google says it has put an effort into making its datacentres more energy efficient, but the search giant's pledges won't mean much until it discloses just how many of the beasties it's actually running.
  • Array US shows what OPEL could have been
    Sprint's WiMAX roll-out in Baltimore will prove the Australian government's decision to worm its way out of the Opel WiMAX contract was a short-sighted, and ultimately damaging, political stunt that has benefited nobody.
  • More blogs »

Tags

Back to top

Featured