According to the company, it has developed a new Qualys Connector, which associates threats detected by the Sourcefire IPS (intrusion prevention system) with host vulnerabilities found by QualysGuard vulnerability management environment.

By working in tandem, both firms say that Qualys Connector delivers additional network vulnerability context and enhanced threat impact analysis for adaptable protection.

Martin Roesch, Sourcefire's chief technology officer, said that, as organisations deal with the constant stream of attacks and alerts, they are continually looking for ways to prioritise the critical threats that require immediate attention.

"The combination of Sourcefire and QualysGuard enables organisations to further reduce the number of actionable threats by correlating real-time network intelligence with active vulnerability scanning data", he added.

Over at Qualys, Wolfgang Kandek, the firm's CTO, said that, with the increased sophistication and frequency of attacks, customers need more effective solutions to respond quickly and protect the network from these threats.

"Sourcefire has built its reputation on delivering intelligent and adaptive security solutions, and the new Qualys Connector further illustrates the importance of accurate vulnerability information, which helps increase the effectiveness of protection efforts", he said.