IBM announced today it has acquired CrossIdeas, provider of identity governance and analytics software based in Rome, Italy, for its auditing tools.

The software company, already associated with IBM, imparts instruments to make sure users only have access to data and applications allowed by regulatory compliance, corporate governance and business process regulations in cloud storage or in offices, according to The Wall Street Journal.

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A function of the software is to administer what the company calls "segregation of duty" controls, which safeguards against employees who wish to police their own actions.

An example of such a violation is the case in which a promoted stockbroker could approve trades while retaining his previous station's capability of entering exchanges, according to PC World. The two authorized powers let the trader hide illegal transactions from higher-ups.

CrossIdeas' tools can help managers and auditors detect anomalies and correct the stated violations.

While the acquired company's tools must be merged with other systems, it also provides IBM a few exclusive tools for simplifying the process, according to Computer World. For example, CrossIdeas has a unique Service Access Point edition of its Access Risk Controls program, which regulates segregation-of-duties violations. A partnership established in early July with data collector STEALTHbits further improved business departments to control entry on scattered data stored on servers and server file systems, without the intervention of IBM's IT department.

CrossIdeas' tools can also merge with IBM's identity and access repository program, Security Identity Manager, into its dashboards.

The analytic software company was formed in 2011 as a management buy-out when coders of software from Ideas acquired it from Engiweb. IBM will be including CrossIdeas in the corporation's security systems division. Both the entities, however, did not say whether the Rome-based staff will stay in Italy or be relocated elsewhere

IBM said that over the last 10 years, it has bought over a dozen companies for security purposes. The last acquisition was in last August when it absorbed the Web anti-malware company Trusteer. 

TagsIBM Corp, cybersecurity, internet security