SafetyWeb Acquires iHound And myID, Pushes People-Centric Security Solution

SafetyWeb is a Silicon Valley startup that until recently has focused on serving anxious parents who want to know what their kids are up to on the tubes. But they’ve been on an acquisition tear – Odojo back in July, and now two more small security startups – iHound Software and myID

They aren’t disclosing the terms of either new deal, other than to say that each deal involves both cash and stock.

The company is also on the verge of launching new products based on internal development as well as the stuff brought over from the three acquisitions. And they aren’t just focusing on child safety any longer.

SafetyWeb cofounder Geoffrey Arone argues that device-centric security is becoming a commodity, and points to robust and free malware being offered by Microsoft for PCs and Sophos for Macs, as examples. Companies like Norton and MacAfee are squirming to get people to pay anything for their software.

SafetyWeb is arguing that People-Centric solutions make better business models. People are concerned about online privacy, identity, reputation and safety today. There are niche products for each category, like Lifelock for identity and Reputation Defender for reputation. But no one has tacked all of these problems with a single subscription product. That’s where SafetyWeb is heading, says Arone.