Symantec is laying off an unspecified number of employees this week, the security software company has confirmed.

The security firm would not specify the number of jobs to be culled, or the departments targeted for the cuts.

"Symantec continues to have a strong focus on controlling its costs and has set cost savings targets for each business function," said spokeswoman Melissa Martin. "In some instances, headcount reductions will be implemented as part of the ongoing cost savings initiative."

The company announced in January it would implement $200m worth of cuts to compensate for waning demand for its data center offerings and free security program offerings from Microsoft and ISPs.

News of the layoffs were first reported by Valleywag, who say the cuts are internally going by the code-name "Project Xpress."

Employees likely to be affected are new hires and those from startups recently acquired by Symantec. ®