Twitter buys security firm Dasient

Twitter has acquired security company Dasient as it looks to boost protection for its millions of users.

Dasient, which moved from solely anti-malware products into anti-malvertising services two years ago, will be folded into Twitter's revenue engineering team.

"In 2010, Dasient launched the industry's first anti-malvertising service to protect ad networks and publishers from the scourge of malicious ads. Over the last year, we have been very active in securing the ads and content of the some of the industry's largest ad networks and web sites," the company said in a blog post.

"By joining Twitter, Dasient will be able to apply its technology and team to the world's largest real-time information network. As part of this merger, Dasient is winding down its business and is no longer able to accept new customers."

Twitter has been boosting its security credentials with some big buys and service upgrades over recent months.

By joining Twitter, Dasient will be able to apply its technology and team to the world's largest real-time information network.

In late November, the micro-blogging service announced the acquisition of mobile data encryption and security management software Whisper Systems.

In March, it made an 'always use HTTPS' feature available in a bid to protect user accounts from hijacking.

Twitter has to cope with various security issues on a daily basis, not just with scammers and spammers. Last week, it emerged Anonymous was taking advantage of the service to direct users to specially-crafted sites, which would recruit them in a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack without them knowing.

Last year also saw Twitter splash some of its cash on UK tech company TweetDeck for an undisclosed sum.