IBM Acquires Cloud Security Services Provider Lighthouse Security Group

SOURCE: IBM

ARMONK, N.Y. – 11, August 2014: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced it has acquired the business operations of Lighthouse Security Group, LLC, a premier cloud security services provider. Lighthouse Security Group’s Gateway platform protects identity and data in an increasingly complex IT environment where more company information is being stored in the cloud and accessed from mobile devices. Lighthouse Security Group is a subsidiary of long-time IBM Business Partner Lighthouse Computer Services, Inc. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Today’s news follows IBM’s acquisition of CrossIdeas, a privately held provider of security software that governs user access to applications and data across on-premise and cloud environments. CrossIdeas combines business-driven governance and analytics capabilities to give customers greater control for securing enterprises. By integrating the businesses of Lighthouse Security Group and CrossIdeas with IBM’s identity and access management offering, IBM will offer a full suite of security software and services that protect and manage a user’s identity.

The challenges of data access have been exacerbated by the digital world where companies are struggling to protect company information, including employee and customer identity, as they are stored beyond the traditional enterprise. Rather than managing a single point of entry to this information, businesses must now be able to verify who is accessing their systems, data and network, and whether they are entitled to do so, from multiple points including cloud and mobile devices. In this new era, identity and access management has become the first line of defense from potential data breaches.

Based in Lincoln, Rhode Island, Lighthouse Security Group offers the Lighthouse Gateway, an identity management solution that will be integrated into IBM’s leading managed security services offering. Customers can deploy and use the solution from a secure, hosted environment, which significantly reduces the cost of digital identity management and speeds the deployment for any type of IT environment—a data center, in the cloud or a hybrid of the two. As a result, businesses can take immediate steps to help protect corporate data and prevent identity theft by ensuring that only authorized personnel can access sensitive corporate information no matter what the entry point.

Consider the impact when an automotive manufacturer looking to provide its global sales managers with immediate access to classified specifications on its new line of cars moves this data to the cloud. Now authorized managers can access the specifications from their laptops or smartphones while on the show floor. Through the Lighthouse Gateway, the company is able to ensure that the information is shared from its on premise data center to the cloud, but only authorized employees have access and the information remains as secure as ever.

“Business models are rapidly evolving as employees conduct more of their work offsite. Protecting this data and who has access to it has become a challenge, costing our clients time and money.” said Kris Lovejoy, General Manager, IBM Security Services. “With this acquisition, IBM provides a unique identity and access management offering that combines proven software and analytics technology with expert managed services that make it easy for businesses to tackle the complexities of security in this new digital world.”

The acquisition of Lighthouse Security Group extends IBM’s security leadership in delivering innovation, services and software that help businesses protect their data. IBM has made more than a dozen acquisitions in security in the past decade and has more than 6,000 security researchers and developers in its 25 security labs worldwide that work on developing enterprise-class solutions. Lighthouse Security Group builds upon this investment by combining IBM’s leading managed security software and services.

“Our ability to match the power and capabilities of traditional enterprise offerings through a cloud-based service set us apart from the competition and fueled our success,” said Eric Maass, Chief Technology Officer, Lighthouse Security Group. “We are excited to become part of IBM’s security offering and help customers continue to transform their operations while giving them the assurance that their most vital assets remain secure.”

The Lighthouse Gateway provides customers with a strategic cloud-based platform, which includes a full suite of functionality that is based on IBM Security Identity and Access Management capabilities – including user provisioning, identity lifecycle governance, single sign-on, enterprise user registry services, federation, and user self service.

To hear more about today’s announcement and learn how organizations can benefit from IBM and the Lighthouse Gateway platform, click here.

About IBM Security
IBM’s security portfolio provides the security intelligence to help organizations holistically protect their people, data, applications and infrastructure. IBM offers solutions for identity and access management, security information and event management, database security, application development, risk management, endpoint management, next-generation intrusion protection and more. IBM operates one of the world’s broadest security research and development, and delivery organizations. IBM monitors 15 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries and holds more than 3,000 security patents.

For more information, please visit www.ibm.com/security, follow @IBMSecurity on Twitter or visit the IBM Security Intelligence blog.

About Lighthouse Security Group, LLC
Lighthouse Security Group, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lighthouse Computer Services, Inc., is a premier provider of cloud-based Identity and Access Management (IAM) services. Founded in 2007, the company serves clients throughout Financial Services, Healthcare, Retail, Manufacturing, Higher Education, and the Department of Defense. With an engineering heritage rooted in both IBM and defense-technology leader Lockheed Martin, Lighthouse Security Group is home to a team that comprises industry authorities, patent-holding innovators and worldclass IAM talent. The company’s major operations include its market-leading Lighthouse Gateway cloud IAM offering, commercial systems integration services and information security services for the U.S. Department of Defense.