Bank of London & The Middle East plc Selects IBM

LONDON, –– IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that the Bank of London and The Middle East plc (BLME), a stand-alone Sharia’a* compliant investment bank that launched in the UK in July 2007, has selected intrusion prevention technology from IBM’s Internet Security Systems (ISS) division to help reinforce its existing security controls and further protect its customer and corporate data.

BLME uses the IBM Proventia® Network Intrusion Prevention System (IPS) not only to augment its existing firewalls and further secure its networks, but also to help comply with the systems and controls requirements as mandated by the Financial Services Authority, an independent body that regulates the Financial Services industry in the UK. BLME will rely on the reporting capabilities of the Proventia Network IPS solution to demonstrate that effective network security measures are in place. BLME also will benefit from the proactive nature of IBM ISS security, which is designed to protect clients like BLME against the ever-evolving network-based threat landscape.

“Not only did we want a security system that would grow with our needs, but we also required a solution that is proven to manage new threats and vulnerabilities,” said William Purdy, head of Information Technology at BLME. “As a newly formed company in the UK, the security of our systems is important for the foundation of our business, so we can’t afford to have security threats impeding our progress. With IBM ISS we are confident this won’t happen.”

IBM Corp. (NYSE: IBM)