Apple buys security firm Authentec

Authentec is best known for producing fingerprint sensors, NFC chips and security software for mobiles. One of the biggest customers of Authentec is Apple’s arch foe Samsung, as can be seen from the corporation’s news page detailing recent deals. Other major Authentec customers include Hewlett-Packard, Fujitsu, Dell and Lenovo.

Apple used to be famously smug about its operating systems security and lack of malware. Pride comes before a fall and Apple’s virus and malware imperviousness gloss seems to have been tarnished by recent news. The Authentec acquisition appears to be timely, judging by the growing concern and awareness of security issues among Apple users. If you look at the Authentec website you can see that the company has quite a wide range of security solutions from hardware “smart sensors” to software for identity management, VPN networking security and DRM streaming content protection.