Cisco Systems Inc. announced on Thursday it is buying privately held IronPort Systems Inc., which makes anti-spam and antivirus security products, for $830 million in cash and stock.

Cisco has ruled the networking world with its routers and switches, and said it now wants to branch out into computer security

“We feel there is enormous potential for enhanced e-mail and message protection solutions to be integrated into the existing Cisco Self-Defending Network framework,” said Richard Palmer, senior vice president of Cisco’s Security Technology Group.

The platforms will target enterprises, businesses Cisco and IronPort executives said are hungry for additional electronic protection.

Integrating IronPort’s messaging security technology with Cisco’s Self-Defending Network will enable a new level of defense for our customers, said Scott Weiss, CEO of IronPort Systems.

The companies expect the transaction to close in the third quarter of Ciscos 2007 fiscal year. IronPort and its 408 employees will become part of Ciscos Security Technology Group.

IronPort Systems Inc. www.ironport.com  

Cisco Systems Inc. www.cisco.com