Solera Networks

Solera Networks operated in the Big Data Security Intelligence and Analytics sector, focusing on Advanced Threat Protection. The company was acquired by Blue Coat Systems in May 2013 for an undisclosed amount, a deal intended to merge Solera's analytics and forensic capabilities with Blue Coat's web-based threat intelligence. At the time of the acquisition, Solera had approximately 130 employees worldwide.

The company's President and CEO was Steve Shillingford, an executive with over two decades of experience in technology, including roles at Oracle and Novell. His leadership was crucial in navigating the company toward its successful acquisition by Blue Coat, where Solera's technology became the foundation for the "Advanced Threat Protection" platform. Before the acquisition, Solera Networks had successfully raised approximately $51 million in venture capital from investors including Intel Capital, Signal Peak Ventures, Trident Capital, and Allegis Capital.

Solera Networks' core business revolved around its DeepSee™ platform, which functioned as a 'security camera for the network'. This platform provided deep packet inspection, full packet capture, and security analytics, essentially acting as a DVR for network traffic that allowed for detailed forensic investigation of security incidents. The technology enabled clients to record, analyze, and search network activity to understand the root cause of advanced targeted attacks and zero-day threats. The DeepSee platform's features included a Real-Time File Extractor, which allowed for the immediate identification of threats by reconstructing and analyzing files moving across the network. The business model was based on selling this platform to Global 2000 enterprises, cloud service providers, and government agencies, including the U.S. Departments of Energy, Homeland Security, and Defense. This allowed clients to achieve real-time situational awareness, respond to security incidents, and ensure organizational policy compliance.

Keywords: security analytics, network forensics, advanced threat protection, big data security, incident response, deep packet inspection, threat intelligence, network monitoring, malware analysis, cybersecurity