General Dynamics acquires Fidelis Security Systems

General Dynamics announced this morning that it will acquire Boston-based security vendor Fidelis Security Systems, Inc., which specializes in real-time network visibility, analysis and control technology. The price tag hasn’t been disclosed yet.

In a statement, General Dynamics said:

Fidelis Security Systems’ network security solutions help customers stop advanced threats and prevent data breaches by providing visibility into the complex layers of a network, exposing malicious content in real-time. These products complement General Dynamics’ cyber operations and incident response services, allowing customers to detect, defend and react to cyber threats and network breaches.

More acquisitions in the security industry:

—NCC Group acquires Intrepidus Group for $11 million

—BeyondTrust eyes app security with eEye acquisition

—Intel confirms acquisition of heart-beat biometrics company Idesia  

“The acquisition of Fidelis Security Systems allows General Dynamics to continue to deliver relevant and innovative cyber security solutions that help customers maintain the edge to successfully address and respond to dynamic cyber threats,” said Lou Von Thaer, president of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.

In announcing the acquisition, General Dynamics made the following points:

• Since its inception, Fidelis has been fighting a new kind of enemy — a nation state that’s very patient, persistent and has lots of money funded by governments. This attacker is all about stealing vital information from America’s top companies and agencies — formulas for new drugs and designs for cars to name a few. This isn’t about the hacker down the street. Its cyber warfare for financial gain.
• General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems started its incident response and forensics group protecting complex government networks and evolved this experience for the commercial market. This group has a resume that boasts it’s managed more than 2,500 investigations and solved some of the world’s largest commercial network intrusions.
• Together, Fidelis will be able to use insights from this General Dynamics team to push the envelope on advanced threat defense innovation, bringing to market even more comprehensive products to protect against the many layers of threats – including offering more visibility to expose threats that have burrowed deep inside networks.

“Being prepared and having the right intelligence and technologies is critical for organizations to mitigate and respond to cyber threats in real time,” said Peter George, president and chief executive officer for Fidelis Security Systems. “The combination of Fidelis Security Systems’ products and General Dynamics’ cyber services and incident response capabilities will strengthen our customers’ ability to achieve situational awareness to protect and defend their networks.”

Fidelis Security Systems employs approximately 70 people at locations in Waltham, Mass., and Bethesda, Md.

The acquisition has been approved by the boards of directors of both companies. General Dynamics expects the transaction to be completed in the third quarter of 2012.