In the 21st century, online viruses, malware and security threats in general are becoming a bigger and bigger problem for corporations and individual web consumers alike. Deep packet inspection solutions (DPIs) have arisen in the past decade as a crucial tool to defending against these malicious attacks, and vendors of the technology are going to see even bigger demand from end-users in the near future-especially in the government sector.
As of 2013, the adoption of deep packet inspection solutions in the Government segment is comparatively low, however TechNavio predicts that this number will increase with double-digit growth during the forecast period due to advancements in DPI technology, including various features such as content filtering, IP blocking, and e-mail censoring.
The key drivers for this huge growth can be divided into two categories:
#1. National Security
Globally, the number and intensity of cyber-attacks on government websites and sensitive information has increased exponentially, which obviously poses massive security threats. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and DPI systems are fundamental in monitoring and countering attacks of such a nature.
Deep packet inspection solutions can also aid in the surveillance of suspicious e-mail and VoIP conversations, which can be used for illegal purposes and even aid in global terrorism. DPI is therefore used by governments to monitor such communications and help in protecting against such plots.
Currently, the US government is conducting large cyber-security programs such as the Einstein program, in which the spending on DPI solutions is rapidly increasing. As well, the government in Brazil and other southern countries expected to increase its spending on DPI technology to control cyber-security threats, which will give DPI vendors new opportunities to capitalize in new regions.
#2. Censorship
Some countries have designated certain kinds of information to be harmful to the interests of the state. This information could be political, economic, or religious in nature, and could potentially destabilize the country; DPI technology allows governments to block this type of data from the country’s web networks.
Thailand, for instance, is just one of the many countries rated as ”not free”, and uses deep packet inspection solutions to censor over 43, 908 URLS. As the infrastructure continues to evolve in undeveloped countries, more and more people will have access to the wealth of information on internet which will undoubtedly prompt even more government spending on security and specifically, DPIS.
And to think, the Government segment is just one small part of the Global Market for Deep Packet Inspection Systems. Other sectors including ISPs, Service Providers, and large enterprises are also expected to gain some major traction in the next four years, meaning big things and big numbers await vendors of DPIs.
For more info, see our 2012-2016 report on the Global Deep Packet Inspections Market.
