Over the past few years, open-source solutions have begun to compete with Unified Threat Management (UTM) solutions. End-users can download these solutions and run them on all platforms, making them an easy and inexpensive alternative to traditional network security software.
These solutions also provide a reasonable level of security to end-users by protecting their data across public internet networks. They are also found in many cases, to be much less expensive than standard UTM solutions.
As a result, there has been a moderate increase in the adoption of open-source solutions, which cuts profit margins for network security vendors, thereby slowing market growth.
TechNavio analysts have pinpointed four key factors helping to overcome the challenges that open-source network security software pose:
Demand for Integrated Security Solutions
There are many solutions available in the Network Security Market, and choosing the right solution and implementing each individual solution is a time-consuming and expensive process. This has given rise to the need to consolidate security solutions into a single solution, and to simplify the network environment of an organization.
For example, UTM solutions can perform multiple security functions such as firewall, intrusion detection, anti-spam, and anti-virus. A customer that has separate firewalls, VPN, and IDP systems has to oversee maintenance, updates, and logs for each individual system.
This increases the complexity of networks and the associated business expenses. Customers need solutions that are easy to use, easy to deploy, and that provide better security. Integrated security solutions such as UTMs satisfy customers’ critical needs and, are therefore favored in the market.
Impact of Cyber Attacks
Evolving technology, the greater online presence of organizations, increased use of social media sites, adoption of mobile devices, and hackers’ need for money and critical information has made organizations more vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
These threats are increasing in scale and incur huge losses/costs for organizations and their brand names. For example, the number of attacks has slightly reduced in the UK, but the cost and scale of breaches remains high, which is a major concern for organizations.
Organizations, however, have realized that network security solutions not only secure them from cyber-attacks, and help them efficiently manage cyber-attacks, but also provide them with competitive advantages. Therefore, organizations are increasing investments in network security solutions.
Compliance with Multi-regulatory Environments
Organizations currently have to comply with strict multiple regulatory requirements in addition to following internal compliance procedures to avoid hefty penalties. The Financial and Healthcare industries are two of the most regulated industries in the world.
Organizations usually have to comply with multiple regulations and failure to adhere to such regulations may result in fines running into millions of US dollars. Therefore, end-users implement various IT security products such as UTM solutions to cope with the rising number of regulatory requirements.
Rise in Sophisticated Threats
A new generation of sophisticated threats is emerging, especially from external applications such as social networks. Governments and enterprises seek sophisticated and advanced network security solutions because of the increased instances of targeted attacks.
Traditional security solutions are also unable to defend organizations against such attacks. Hackers install malicious executables that have the capability of avoiding being detected by a traditional IDP. Therefore, organizations seek advanced systems that not only detect threats, but also anticipate and fend off threats.
