Database security specialist Imperva today launched a new service to help firms monitor and secure their databases in accordance with corporate regulations.

The Application Defence Center (ADC) Insight Service is a bundle of packages that tailor the firm's SecureSphere database gateway security products in order to automate and speed the regulatory compliance process, according to the firm.

"If you look at the enterprise today, it takes a lot of effort and expertise to cover all the platforms so that they are compliant with all the ever-changing and newly announced regulations," explained Imperva chief technology officer Amichai Shulman. "We provide expertise from an external source and reduce the resources required to apply regulations to different platforms in the datacentre."

The Insight service utilises the ongoing research done by Imperva's ADC group, which provides continuous automatic updates. The solution also implements rules and policies in specific areas; includes application, database and operating system assessments to check for vulnerabilities; and features reporting functionality to identify risks and measure compliance, said Imperva.

Andy Kellett of analyst firm Butler Group was sceptical about Imperva's claims to simplify companies' compliance initiatives.

"You never buy a box on the basis of 'drop it in and you're compliant'," Kellett argued. "It's the same with all security solutions: they're only as good as the people operating them and your ability to keep them up-to-date."