Firms' joint security service can visualise problems in real time, and aid compliance

Certificate specialist VeriSign and Skybox Security have today launched a joint security risk service, designed to help firms visualise the business impact of threats and vulnerabilities, and aid their compliance efforts.

The VeriSign Security Risk Profiling Service combines features from VeriSign's Managed Security Services, Global Security Consulting and iDefense Security Intelligence Services with Skybox's modeling and simulation technology, according to VeriSign’s Scott Magrath.

"Historically it was difficult to help our customers understand how new threats or small changes [to their security environments could] affect overall risk," Magrath said. "Skybox was a clear choice for us [as we can] now use their tool to provide a clear view of risk."

Ed Cooper, vice president of worldwide marketing for Skybox Security, said that firms are increasingly interested in managing their IT security environments from a risk perspective. This is partly because of the legal imperative, but also because risk is a common language that can be understood across the organisation, he added.

A risk-based approach to security can also save firms significant sums of money by highlighting areas that do not need patching because the associated vulnerabilities pose no harm, Cooper argued.