Ernst & Young's Israeli Member Firm Acquires Hacktics® Professional Services Practice

NEW YORK, Jan. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Responding to business growth and the escalation in corporate cyber attacks, Ernst & Young announces today that Kost, Forer, Gabbay & Kassierer, the organization's member firm in Israel, has acquired the professional services arm of Hacktics Ltd., an Israel-based organization that provides a groundbreaking approach to identifying and addressing cyber offenses.

This acquisition represents yet another step in the expansion of services provided by Ernst & Young's Information Technology Risk & Assurance (ITRA) practices across the globe. Ernst & Young's integrated information security approach is designed to help CIOs and corporate security leaders understand the actual impact of security problems that can arise due to today's range of technologies (including mobile devices, the cloud sphere and social networks). According to The Forrester Wave™: Information Security and Risk Consulting Services, Q3 2010 (dated August 2, 2010), as issued by Forrester Research, Inc., "Ernst & Young is a market leader in Information Security and Risk Consulting Services due to its 'security expertise, breadth of services and global reach.'"

"We are pleased to welcome the Hacktics professional service practitioners into our Advanced Security Centers (ASC), where we will work together to provide clients with information security strategies that help them navigate today's borderless world," says Bernie Wedge, leader of the Americas ITRA practice at Ernst & Young. "Our ASC employees think like hackers when it comes to breaches in information security – and use that level of knowledge to help determine the potential impact of a security breach as well as pinpoint where the core business of the organization may be harmed. The Hacktics team will be a great asset to our services, particularly due to their focus on web application security testing, which is currently high in demand."

Today's information security threats not only exist on the outside – they are on the inside, too. According to Wedge, "It's time to radically rethink how organizations can keep their most valuable information assets safe. A company's information security framework must be strategically aligned with the broader business agenda and based on the organization's risk tolerance – in order to identify, protect, optimize and sustain- which are the objectives of leading information security programs."

The Hacktics professionals will join the Israeli ITRA practice as part of the growing list of Advanced Security Centers that Ernst & Young firms have established across the globe. This addition expands Ernst & Young's ability to provide attack-and-penetration security testing, the most up-to-date knowledge about offensive methods used by attackers and 24-hour support in each hemisphere.

"We are thrilled by the possibilities and challenges this opportunity presents. Our professionals look forward to working as part of the Advanced Security Centers to help meet client demand and contribute our unique know-how and methodologies to Ernst & Young clients," says Ron Porat, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Hacktics.

Ofer Maor, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Hacktics, adds "Our professional services team is known for its outstanding ability to pinpoint real world risks and scenarios that pose a danger to our clients. They are skilled in both top-notch technologies and traditional security domains, as they serve clients across a variety of industry sectors. We look forward to applying these skills towards Ernst & Young clients."

Founded in Israel in 2004, Hacktics has served more than 250 global corporations. Hacktics^® services help companies address the risks posed by data leakage and hackers, combining advanced hacker-like techniques with a robust methodology that focuses on the identification of actual business risks.

At the 2010 RSA^® Conference, a major information security industry event, Hacktics was among the finalists for "Most Innovative Company" based on the nomination of a product known as Seeker™, which provides a web-based application vulnerability scanner that automatically exploits and captures the results in a video. Although Kost, Forer, Gabbay & Kassierer will not be acquiring this specific technology, it is this distinctive mode of operating which provides clients with both documentation of their problems and a means of educating them about how to avoid falling into the same traps.

"In all of the engagements we have conducted, clients have recognized Hacktics' quality and efficiency in developing business-oriented remediation as well as our ability to address business threats," adds Tal Mozes, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Hacktics. "Our professionals are eager to apply the same qualities to an even broader spectrum of clients and services as a result of joining the ITRA team at Ernst & Young."

About Ernst & Young's Advisory Services

The relationship between risk and performance improvement is an increasingly complex and central business challenge, with business performance directly connected to the recognition and effective management of risk. Whether your focus is on business transformation or sustaining achievement, having the right advisors on your side can make all the difference. Our 20,000 advisory professionals form one of the broadest global advisory networks of any professional organization, delivering seasoned multidisciplinary teams that work with our clients to deliver a powerful and superior client experience. We use proven, integrated methodologies to help you achieve your strategic priorities and make improvements that are sustainable for the longer term. We understand that, to achieve your potential as an organization, you require services that respond to your specific issues, so we bring our broad sector experience and deep subject matter knowledge to bear in a proactive and objective way. Above all, we are committed to measuring the gains and identifying where the strategy is delivering the value your business needs. It's how Ernst & Young makes a difference.

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Ernst & Young refers to the global organization of member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity.

This news release has been issued by Ernst & Young LLP, a member firm of Ernst & Young Global Limited serving clients in the US. Kost, Forer, Gabbay & Kassierer is a member firm serving clients in Israel.

About Hacktics Ltd.

The Hacktics^® professional services team is led by elite testing and security professionals and ethical hackers with extensive experience in different types of enterprises in varied industries. In addition to its elite professional services group, Hacktics has also developed an unparalleled automated security testing tool, named Seeker™ (which is not included in this acquisition).

For more information, please visit www.hacktics.com.  

SOURCE Ernst & Young LLP