Internet security firm Lastline Inc. has signed a lease to occupy 2,281 square feet of space at the The Towbes Group’s Storke Hollister Research Center in Goleta.

Traci Taitt, vice president for commercial properties for The Towbes Group, and Mike Chenoweth of Radius Group Commercial Real Estate represented the landlord, Nassau Land Company L.P., in the transaction.

Lastline, which offers products and services to protect Internet users against malware that anti-virus software can’t detect, was founded in 2009 by UCSB computer science professors Christopher Kruegel and Giovanni Vigna, and Engin Kirda, an associate professor of computer science at Northeastern University.

The firm employs a team of seven full-time researchers and threat analysts.

Lastline Vice President David Telleen-Lawton said the firm’s previous offices in Goleta did not have the contiguous space to accommodate its rapid growth.

“The location and the quality of the office space made this the most attractive choice for us,” he said. “With our ties to UCSB, the breadth of housing options for our new employees, an easy walk to lunch spots and an on-site gym, we knew it was a good fit. The flexible floor plan available made a big difference, too.

Built in 2000, the Storke Hollister Research Center is a two-story Class A office building offering 58,854 square feet of office and research and development space. It is located across the street from the shops and restaurants in the Camino Real Marketplace and next door to the future Montecito Bank & Trust branch. The center is 93 percent leased with other notable tenants, including SpectraFluidics, the UC Education Abroad Program and the administrative offices of Montecito Bank & Trust.

— Bruce Beck is a publicist representing The Towbes Group.