The company last week introduced a swag of new security services, products and research breakthrough aimed at helping businesses more effectively manage operational and IT risk.

IBM said the IT security market was being transformed by the growth in more collaborative business models, by more sophisticated criminal attacks, and by increasingly complex infrastructure.

IBM says today’s wide array of security technologies, implemented tactically in silos, are not sufficient to deal with the new risk reality. IBM's approach is to strategically manage risk end-to end across all five domains of information technology security - Information Security; Threat and Vulnerability; Application Security; Identity and Access Management and Physical Security.

“For many enterprises, security is broken,” said IBM Internet Security Systems general manager Tom Noonan.

“The nature of evolving threats is such that installing point solutions to 'keep the bad guys out' is no longer a viable way to secure a business,” Mr Noonan said.

“We advocate new approaches to reduce complexities, adapt to new business imperatives and enable business value versus just threat protection. The path to a more secure world begins with a risk management strategy that limits the impact of threats, improves business resilience and creates an enterprise free of fear.”

IBM's Internet Security Systems (ISS) unit, acquired just over a year ago, is helping lead the way, teaming with IBM Research and integrating with IBM's Software and Systems businesses to deliver the world's most advanced risk management capabilities.