- Hoping to counter next-gen firewall leader Palo Alto Networks (NASDAQ:PANW +2.7%), threat-prevention hardware/software leader FireEye (FEYE +4.5%), other smaller/share-gaining enterprise security firms, Cisco (CSCO +1.2%) has refreshed its ASA firewall line and rolled out new malware-protection and incident-response services.
- New ASA next-gen firewalls (feature technology obtained through the SourceFire acquisition) are declared to provide mid-sized firms and branch offices "with the same advanced malware protection and threat detection capabilities" enjoyed by enterprises. They combine standard firewall support with app visibility/control, malware protection, and intrusion prevention features; managed security services are provided for extra.
- AMP Threat Grid, a malware-protection solution made possible by the ThreatGRID acquisition, combines malware analysis with threat intelligence (based on behavioral indicators and a knowledge base); it's available either as a cloud service or through an on-premise appliance based on Cisco's UCS servers. Meanwhile, new incident-response services help companies probe and respond to cyberattacks. Cisco has already been rapidly adding to its security service portfolio.
- Cisco's security product revenue rose 6% Y/Y in the January quarter to $416M; Palo Alto and FireEye respectively saw 54% and 150% sales growth in their most recent quarters (the latter was boosted by M&A). Palo Alto recently launched a threat intelligence service (AutoFocus) to complement its popular WildFire threat-detection service. FireEye offers a slew of threat-prevention/intelligence services, and has been hired to probe several high-profile cyberattacks.
- Shares of all three companies are higher on an up day for equities.