Qualys offers compliance as a service

Qualys will tomorrow release the third component of its QualysGuard 'security-as-a-service' suite, which offers firms a hosted method of auditing compliance initiatives.

QualysGuard Policy Compliance 1.0 provides auditing tools, delivered over the internet, which can be used to scan networks for vulnerabilities or systems which contravene compliance policies.

The difficulty of securing a global IT infrastructure, while simultaneously ensuring systems were compliant with the growing body of corporate regulation, is increasing, warned

The difficulty of securing a global IT infrastructure, while simultaneously ensuring systems were compliant with the growing body of corporate regulation, is increasing, warned Philippe Courtot, chief executive and chairman of Qualys. Most of the tools available have been costly and cumbersome to deploy, he added.

"IT security and policy compliance management delivered together as a service answers all of these challenges by providing accurate, actionable and on demand information to the right audience, at the right time, anywhere in the world," Courtot said.

The new compliance tools augment Qualys' existing Vulnerability Management and PCI offerings to form the Security and Compliance suite. The enterprise version of the suite can be used for unlimited scans at multiple locations and covers unlimited numbers of users. Annual subscriptions start at £20,000