Western European Security Software Forecast and Analysis, 2001-2006

Key Market Trends

Antivirus software products are becoming an integral part of a modular architecture that embraces all secure content management (SCM) technologies. IDC defines SCM as technologies that include antivirus, Internet access control and management, email scanning, and malicious and mobile code. We are starting to see SCM technologies providing a single point of administration, policy management, and logging and reporting for other scanning technologies such as intrusion detection, vulnerability assessment, and firewalls.

Encryption software is the foundation for security and privacy. Although it has always been important, it has gained renewed emphasis as new privacy protection regulations are mandated. GovernmentGovernment regulations will require improved encryption for compliance. Although government regulations are focused on the healthcare industry (physicians, hospitals, and healthcare insurance providers), the financial industry is also grappling with a parallel set of privacy mandates, and we believe that these regulations will have an impact on other industries as well. Encryption will be required since stored data must be protected from unauthorized viewing. Alles zu Government auf CIO.de

Firewalls are the mainstay of any security program. The need for firewalls remains strong, and the growth in this market was better than predicted last year. As always-on Internet access grows (with digital subscriber line [DSL] and cable modems) and as more companies allow telecommuting, the need for distributed and personal firewalls will grow. Distributed firewalls are not standalone. Instead, they include management functionality, which allows enterprises or service providers to centrally manage the firewall to ensure that it remains within a stated policy, receives software updates, and has VPN management.

Security management will be the next hot area in the 3A market. Organizations are asking for an enterprisewide security management solution with a central point of control. Security management solutions focus on increasing end-user productivity, reducing administrator errors, and enabling enforcement of user access security policies.