Report: IBM Looking To Acquire Security Incident Response Company Resilient Systems

IBM is continuing to shovel investments into its security business, the latest of which is reported to be an acquisition of high-acclaimed incident response company Resilient Systems.

Resilient Systems, based in Cambridge, Mass., offers an Incident Response Platform that is designed to help clients move beyond just security breach prevention and detection to focus on response, using tools such as data, intelligence and workflows to orchestrate the most effective actions. The company has been on a high-growth trajectory, propelled by strong demand for incident response solutions in the wake of a continued rise in successful attacks.

According to the report by Xconomy, which cited multiple sources familiar with the deal, the acquisition talks are already in the final stages. Sources told the publication that the purchase price was around $100 million, though it said other details about the deal have not yet been disclosed.

[Related: Resilient Systems Sees 'Tremendous' Growth As Focus On Incident Response Rises]

IBM declined to comment on the news, saying it does not comment on rumors or speculation. Resilient Systems did not reply to a request for comment about the report.

IBM has been investing heavily in security in recent months, calling it one of the company's "strategic imperatives," along with cloud, analytics, mobile and social. CEO Ginny Rometty has said she wants those areas to reach around $40 billion in revenue combined, or about 40 percent of IBM's overall business.

Resilient Systems also fits into a pattern for IBM of investing in Boston-area security startups. IBM Security is headquartered in Cambridge, about 7 miles away from the Resilient headquarters in the same city.

That being said, Resilient partners said they were not thrilled to hear about the report. One partner, who did not want to be named, said the move would be "good for them, but bad for us." Having dealt with IBM acquired companies in the past, the partner executive worried that the acquisition would make it more difficult for him to do business with Resilient going forward.

"I've never been able to maintain the quality of my channel relationship after an IBM acquisition. IBM is just a lot harder to work with from both a VAR and a customer perspective," the partner said.

The report did not provide a timeline on when the deal might be announced.