Oracle Acquires Database Security Provider

Oracle is purchasing Secerno, a provider of database firewall solutions for Oracle, Microsoft and Sybase databases. Oracle says Secerno technology will offer a critical real-time defensive layer of security around databases, blocking unauthorized activity.

Oracle intends Secerno’s DataWall database firewall solution to augment its existing portfolio of database security solutions, including Oracle Advanced Security, Oracle Database Vault and Oracle Audit Vault to further ensure data privacy, protect against threats, and enable regulatory compliance.

Oracle says it is currently reviewing the Secerno product roadmap to determine which features it will add to its security portfolio, and when. However, Secerno’s DataWall product works by analyzing and categorizing every SQL statement that is sent to a database, optionally logs it, and makes a real-time decision on what to do with the statement. Possible actions include allowing an authorized statement to enter the database, alerting on policy exceptions, blocking out-of-policy SQL statements before they reach the database, and substituting unauthorized statements.

DataWall employs semantic clustering algorithms to identify which SQL statements need policy enforcement and enforces white list, black list and exception list-based policies

Database security is an extremely hot topic for corporate and government users. Bored teen hackers have given way to highly skilled criminal professionals and government operatives who have proven effective at breaking through the security of the world’s largest companies. Major retail chains have lost millions of dollars and suffered brand damage as a result of customer data being stolen from their credit card databases.

Oracle appears intent on providing Secerno technology to users of Microsoft and Sybase databases, as well as Oracle databases.

The transaction is expected to close before end of June 2010. Financial details were not disclosed.