After just over a year in business, SiteAdvisor Inc. is being acquired by McAfee Inc.
Security Company McAfee has acquired Boston-based SiteAdvisor in a move to fortify defenses for people before they browse potentially malicious Web sites for an undisclosed amount.
Early last month, the privately-held SiteAdvisor launched free Internet Explorer and Firefox plug-ins that reveal dangerous Web sites listed by popular search engines, including Google, MSN, and Yahoo, before users click on a link.
SiteAdvisor informs people conducting Web searches whether their results include sites potentially associated with spyware, adware, spam and browser attacks. The safety ratings are displayed next to the search results with red, yellow or green icons.
The company’s testing and rating service works on Google, Yahoo and Microsoft’s MSN, appearing as a small button in the browser toolbar.
The firm was launched last year as Infini Corp. by founders of Vividon, a video-streaming company which merged with StarBak Communications Inc. of Waltham, Mass., in 2003. SiteAdvisor is based in Boston and has a New York City office.
SiteAdvisor ranks sites according to its own criteria, assessing which sites are likely to harbor spyware, Trojans, adware, and other programs that a user may or may not want on their computer. McAfee, on the other hand, assesses programs, emails, and other pieces of code that actually enter or want to enter a user’s PC, giving McAfee another front in its war on malware.
SiteAdvisor places a button next to search results returned by Google and others to indicate the level of the threat.
With SiteAdvisor’s plug-in installed, users see green, yellow, or red tags beside hits in search results on Google, MSN, and Yahoo. The tags — red represents sites that heavily spam visitors, host spyware and adware, or hijack browser home pages — give users a heads-up before they click.
"This unique technology adds another dimension of strength and value to McAfee’s threat database and will offer a significant corporate benefit," George Heron, McAfee chief scientist, said in a statement.
While McAfee focuses on incoming threats, SiteAdvisor serves as a shield for users as they roam online, the spokesman said in an e-mail. It is not just the same philosophy as McAfee; it broadens the protection that the company is able to provide.
Although the service will be marketed to McAfee’s vast consumer base, the security giant is also eyeing its use for businesses.
On the SiteAdvisor Web site, chief executive Chris Dixon promised that the plug-ins would remain available and free to existing and new users. The plug-ins can be downloaded from SiteAdvisor.
"McAfee will be working with us to accelerate feature development and bring you new ways to use SiteAdvisor," Dixon added.
SiteAdvisor’s patent-pending technology strongly complements McAfee’s existing solutions, and we clearly share the same philosophy on consumer protection, said Bill Kerrigan, executive vice president of McAfee Consumer, in a statement. "The acquisition of SiteAdvisor illustrates how McAfee continues to understand and meet the digital safety and security needs of consumers, just as we did when we began offering ‘Security as a Service’ seven years ago."
In a statement, Dixon said, "We are excited about the ability to bring SiteAdvisor’s Web safety protection to existing and new McAfee users.” We cannot think of a better partner to help take SiteAdvisor to the next level.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed, but a McAfee spokesman touted the addition as a complement to existing security products from the Santa Clara, Calif. Company.