McAfee Buys ScanAlert's 'Hacker Safe' Tech

Security software provider McAfee will dole out $51 million to make sure its products are hacker safe.

McAfee on Tuesday acquired ScanAlert, maker of the Hacker Safe Web site security certification service, for $51 million plus an additional $24 million if certain performance targets are met. The service will be combined with McAfee's SiteAdvisor.

ScanAlert technology provides daily scanning of certain Web sites and provides them with certification to prove they are safe from hacker attacks. This certification is compliant with PCI, the payment card industry's security standard. The company has approximately 8,000 customers representing more than 75,000 Web sites, according to McAfee.

ScanAlert will be incorporated into McAfee's Web Security Group and co-led by Ken Leonard of ScanAlert and Tim Dowling, vice president of McAfee's consumer, mobile and small business unit.

"This will create the industry's only service that helps consumers stay safe as they search, surf and now shop," said Dave DeWalt, CEO and president of McAfee, in a statement.