Dell Looks To FireEye For Zero-Day Protection

Tech titan Dell will not be looking to create its own zero-day catching technology, but is instead partnering with security start-up FireEye to provide protection against unknown threats.

The Texan firm is currently holding its second ever Dell World in Austin this week and is hoping to impress during a difficult period in which it has seen PC sales slide.

Dell is now ploughing away at the enterprise market by building up the entire data centre stack, so it can operate as a one-stop shop for infrastructural needs.

FireEye and Dell partnership

Part of that push has involved security, and the company has made a number of significant acquisitions in the sphere including SecureWorks, which is now part of the intelligence-led protection unit at Dell, and, more recently, SonicWall.

But Dell won’t be acquiring in the zero-day malware security space. FireEye’s technology, which uses virtual machines and reputation tracking software to identify unknown or zero-day threats, will now be pushed via SecureWorks.

Outside of the sales benefits of the partnership, Dell SecureWorks will gain intelligence from FireEye’s technology, which it can pass on to its customers, meaning they will be better protected from smart pieces of malware.

CTO of Dell SecureWorks Jon Ramsey told TechWeekEurope FireEye had the best product it had seen on the market, and said customers were hungry for the kind of advanced threat protection the new deal would offer them.

“Our agreement with FireEye has no forecast end date. We certainly see it as a long-term relationship,” he said. “The pricing  for our service is based on number of FireEye appliances (email and web appliances) we will be managing for the customer.”

The deal means Dell becomes the first member of the FireEye Certified Service Provider (FCSP) scheme, as the latter looks to expand its channel strategy.

“At a time when an increasing number of companies fall victim to cyber criminals targeting their corporate data, CEOs and CSOs must now invest in more comprehensive security solutions that address the rapidly evolving threat landscape,” said Ashar Aziz, founder and vice chairman of FireEye.

“The launch of the FireEye Certified Service Provider program – and our relationship with Dell SecureWorks – will give more companies even better access to the next-generation threat protection they need.”

Dell recently expanded its SecureWorks offerings, saying it would let customers gain insight into potential data leaks from executives’ family members. Company founder Michael Dell had a sticky moment earlier this year when his own daughter circumvented security protections around the family by tweeting location information.

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