Microsoft buys security firm

Microsoft on Thursday acquired Whale Communications, a privately held company that specializes in virtual private networks and remote secure access products, pushing it deeper into the security business to compete against networking giants like Cisco Systems and Juniper Networks.

Fort Lee, New Jersey-based Whale Communications offers virtual private networks based on the secure sockets layer (SSL) technology, which helps companies offer protected access to their networks from outside the office.

Read the complete story here. (Red Herring)