“One vendor fits all” will not work for IT security

Analyst Gartner says that Symantec, McAfee, Trend Micro, IBM and EMC have seen their share of the $16.5 billion worldwide security market fall to 44 per cent, compared to the 60 per cent it commanded in 2006.

Fuelled by the high profile hacking exploits of groups such as Lulzsec, awareness of the fragile nature of corporate networks has never been higher.  Ruggero Contu, principal research analyst at Gartner, says that the speed and frequency of attacks, such as the one that downed Sony’s PlaySation Network, are creating an opportunity for nimble experts: 

“Market expansion and innovation are driven partly as a result of new start-up players entering the market. New players bring innovative technology solutions to cater for end-user requirements that in turn are created as a result of the new threats, often introduced by cybercriminals taking advantage of new vulnerabilities created by changes to IT ecosystems.”

Although he expects the market to consolidate over the next few years, Contu says that more than any area of IT, the security market demands innovation and this will continue to provide opportunities for small players who able to react quickly to the ever changing landscape. 

“While end-user organisations have shown an increasing preference to use a suite of products from fewer suppliers, the complexity of end users' product portfolios will not be solved in the short term because new, stand-alone niche tools will continue to be purchased to solve new rising threats and vulnerabilities that incumbent players haven't been able to address,” concludes Contu.