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back to article Shiver me timbers: Symantec spots activist investor Starboard side

Security slinger Symantec is facing a bruising battle with activist investor Starboard Value, which has nominated five directors to the security firm's board after having amassed a 5.8 per cent shareholding. Mellanox flushes three directors at behest of activist investor READ MORE Symantec is the outfit that spun off its …

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  1. Alister

    You forgot to mention that Symantec's root certificates have been distrusted by all major browsers after security concerns were raised.

    5 0 Reply
  2. Tom 35

    Stop using the name they made up for themselves. It's not "activist investor" it's corporate raider. They are not investing, they are only after fast cash and don't care what they leave behind after they move on to the next target.

    16 0 Reply
    1. DCFusor
      Reply Icon

      Yes, typically these sharks will borrow a ton of money using the company for collateral, pay themselves and a few others with the loan, then skip and let the company go bankrupt and attempt to pay out the loan in receivership. I've watched that one a few times.

      While you could feel bad for the employees of a failing company, as it surely wasn't quite entirely their own fault (and if they're competent, should be able to find better employ) - you could also take some joy in the fact that whoever loaned the money - a different set of sharks, is going to get the short end.

      2 0 Reply
      1. Mark 85
        Reply Icon

        typically these sharks

        I think the real sharks in the ocean would take offence call the corporate slime balls "sharks". More like dung beetles.

        3 0 Reply
        1. Scott Marshall
          Reply Icon

          Hey - dung beetles are useful

          Calling the corporate/banking slime balls "dung beetles" is malicious slander against dung beetles.

          Dung beetles provide a very useful service, breaking up and burying all the crap left behind by various creatures and thus helping cut the food supply and nursery for the maggots of various flies.

          The added benefit of the dung beetles burying the crap in the ground is that it enriches the soil making it a better bed for plants.

          So, don't call corporate slime balls "dung beetles"; call them for what they really are - "maggots".

          2 0 Reply
  3. GIRZiM

    What's the problem?

    You own 5,8% of the shares?

    Fine, you get to nominate 5.8% of the Board.

    That's, what, one person in twenty.

    So, unless your board consists of twenty people, they get precisely zero nominations.

    Got twenty people on the Board? Then you're big enough not to need to worry about how much influence one person can wield.

    If you're letting people with only a 5.8% share run your organisation then you've got bigger problems.

    1 0 Reply
  4. DerekCurrie
    FAIL

    Can I Help Sink The Ship?

    Symantec's FUD marketing in 2005, attempting to scare Mac users into buying their irrelevant wares, inspired me to study and subsequently work in and write about computer security. That's the one, single thing I have to thank them for. Otherwise, IMHO the computer industry would be better off if Symantec had never existed. If only they'd used their talents for good instead of...

    0 2 Reply
  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Baggywrinkle

    I think you need to look it up. It isn't netting.

    What corporate raiders need is grape shot, chain shot and pouring burning pitch over the side where conditions permit.

    0 0 Reply
  6. EnviableOne

    Corporate raider or not, something needs to be done to turn symantec around. They used to have a heavy presence in enterprise AV and a huge presence in home AV, but they have slipped massivley

    0 0 Reply

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