Science & Technology 
Science and Technology
Science and Technology 
Wed, February 11, 2009
Websense, Inc.: Websense Rolls Out Enhanced Cloud Computing-Based Security Services
SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - February 11, 2009) - Websense, Inc. (
Web security intelligence is a critical piece of effective email security because today more than [ 90 percent of unwanted email contains embedded URLs ] that direct users to Web sites compromised with malicious code and other malware. Websense Hosted Security Services protect organizations from these threats with intelligence from the Websense ThreatSeeker Network. When an attacker attempts to send a malicious link or spam through email, [ Websense Hosted Email Security ] cleans the message in the cloud before it reaches its destination. Additionally, if a user attempts to click on a malicious link in an email or other application, Websense prevents the user from accessing the malicious Web site.
"A growing number of cybercriminals leverage blended attacks -- the use of links to malicious Web sites and spam sites in email -- blurring the lines between Web and email security," said Brian Burke, program director, security products, IDC. "Effective detection requires Web security expertise, and we expect to see more organizations adopt security solutions that are able to protect from these converged threats."
Websense cloud-based security solutions are now even easier to deploy and use, featuring a completely redesigned user interface and a single sign-on for both Web and email that IT managers can access at any time and from anywhere. Quarantine management in Websense Hosted Email Security has also been enhanced, allowing end-users to easily view blocked email, release messages, and whitelist or blacklist senders.
Analyst firm IDC forecasts that the hosted Web security market will grow 49 percent(1) and the hosted email security market will grow 32 percent(2) through 2012. To stay ahead of growing demand, Websense continues to augment its hosted infrastructure and now has 10 data centers, more than 3,500 customers and a million users worldwide protecting essential information with Websense Hosted Security Services. Since acquiring the technology in October of 2007, the number of Websense Hosted Security Services customers in the United States has grown more than 100 percent and globally the number of new customers has increased by more than 20 percent.
Increased Industry-Leading Service Level Agreements
With the increased threat intelligence from the ThreatSeeker Network, Websense has raised its spam detection service level agreement (SLA) to 99 percent for Websense Hosted Email Security, up from 97 percent. By eliminating spam in the cloud, organizations gain tremendous cost savings on hardware, bandwidth, storage, support and administration time. Websense Hosted Security Services are also backed by a 99.999 percent reliability SLA for service availability and a 100 percent SLA for protection from known viruses.
"Organizations are faced with a deluge of blended threats, as well as Web 2.0 sites used by criminals to spread spam and malicious code and drive phishing and fraud scams," said Devin Redmond, vice president product management for Websense. "Delivered over the Internet, Websense Hosted Security services tackle these emerging threats in the cloud, ensuring spam and malicious content never reach the customer's network, keeping their employees and essential information secure."
"We've seen significant interest in Websense Hosted Security Services largely due to the immediate benefits organizations receive after turning on the services," said Websense Partner Steve Kedzior, senior vice president, Client Solutions for Insight. "The hosted platform provides clients an easy, lower-cost approach that doesn't require hardware or software. Additionally, the hosted platform is easy to deploy and can be managed from a single Web interface."
Web and Email Security Resources
-- [ White Paper: Deploying Hybrid Email Security Best Practices Guide ]
-- [ Websense Security Labs Research: State of Internet Security Q3-Q4 2008 ]
-- [ Monthly Spam Statistics and Email Security Research: "In the Mail" - January 2009 edition ]
(1) IDC, Worldwide Web Security 2008-2012 Forecast and 2007 Vendor Shares, Doc # 213700, August 2008
(2) IDC, Worldwide Messaging Security 2008-2012 Forecast and 2007 Vendor Shares: Forecast Looks Cloudy, Doc # 213571, August 2008
About Websense, Inc.
Websense, Inc. (
Websense is a registered trademark of Websense, Inc. in the United States and certain international markets. Websense has numerous other registered and unregistered trademarks in the United States and internationally. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors which, if they do not materialize or prove correct, could cause Websense's results to differ materially from historical results or those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are statements that could be deemed forward-looking statements, including statements containing the words "planned," "expects," "believes," "strategy," "opportunity," "anticipates" and similar words. These statements may include, among others, plans, strategies and objectives of management for future operations; any statements regarding future product offerings; statements of belief and any statements of assumptions underlying any of the foregoing. The potential risks and uncertainties which contribute to the uncertain nature of these statements include, among others, risks relating to execution of growth initiatives, customer acceptance of the company's services, products and fee structures; the success of Websense's brand development efforts; the volatile and competitive nature of the Internet industry; changes in domestic and international market conditions and the entry into and development of international markets for the company's products; risks relating to intellectual property ownership; and the other risks and uncertainties described in Websense's public filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, available at [ http://www.sec.gov ]. Websense assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances arising after the date on which it was made.