IBM is throwing its hat into the cybersecurity ring

IBM has unveiled a cloud-based cybersecurity service which includes hundreds of terabytes of raw aggregated threat intelligence data, which can be expanded upon by users that sign up to use the service.

At about 700TB, IBM’s X-Force Exchange service is being pitched by the firm as one of the largest and most complete catalogues of cybersecurity vulnerability data in the world.

The threat information is based on over 25 billion web pages and images collected from a network of over 270 million endpoints, and will also include real-time data provided by others on the service (so effectively, the more people join, the more robust the service gets).

“The IBM X-Force Exchange platform will foster collaboration on a scale necessary to counter the rapidly rising and sophisticated threats that companies are facing from cybercriminals,” said Brendan Hannigan, general manager, IBM Security.

“We’re taking the lead by opening up our own deep and global network of cyberthreat research, customers, technologies and experts. By inviting the industry to join our efforts and share their own intelligence, we’re aiming to accelerate the formation of the networks and relationships we need to fight hackers,” Hannigan said.

Last year IBM made a number of acquisitions to bolster end-point and cloud security (CrossIdeas, Lighthouse) and adding cyber threat detection to the mix creates a nicely rounded security portfolio. But the move also put it in direct competition with a wide range of managed security service providers that have been playing in this space for years and going after the same verticals (oil & gas, financial service, retail, media, etc.), so it will be interesting to see how IBM differentiates itself.