 "Rise In Cyber Attacks Ups Demand For Global Intrusion Prevention Systems")
The rising frequency and complexity of attacks that are far more effective at breaching enterprise networks’ security detection systems have lent momentum to the global intrusion prevention system (IPS) market. The development of next-generation IPS (NGIPS) products with advanced protection capabilities has further spurred adoption.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan, finds that the market earned revenues of more than $1.21 billion in 2012 and estimates this to reach $2.44 billion in 2017.
The growth in long-term, targeted advanced persistent threats (APTs) indicates that hackers are now well-organised and highly-skilled, and are most likely funded by nation-states or large criminal organisations. Hence, while enterprises continue to install IPS to detect traditional malware, the increase in APTs primarily compels customers to upgrade to IPS.
“NGIPS solutions are gaining acceptance owing to their ability to inspect traffic based on detailed contextual data such as application type and user identity, as well detecting malware for which there are no signatures or other detection methods available,” said Frost & Sullivan Network Security Industry Analyst Chris Rodriguez. “Optionally, many IPS products can provide basic web application firewall capabilities, data loss prevention, botnet detection, or distributed denial-of-service prevention services.”
IPS products are popular as they also offer performance and scalability not provided in other low-cost, multi-function security products. The availability of purpose-built hardware to better defend against polymorphic threats, along with investments in research and development to improve the products’ security efficacy has boosted IPS vendors’ margins.
However, the high costs of these IPS solutions, which on average are more expensive than firewalls and unified threat management (UTM) systems, deter businesses already wary of large capital investments during a weak global economy. The integration of IPS with multi-function security devices and firewalls gives rise to UTM products with lower costs of ownership, and thereby affects the market’s overall value. The expertise required for IPS’ optimal performance adds to the total cost of ownership.
“Creating awareness on the benefits of next-generation solutions, which can fulfill customers’ security, networking, and compliance requirements, will be crucial to accelerate uptake,” noted Rodriguez. “Vendors must also build solutions that support network throughput speeds, and develop comprehensive strategies that will secure virtualisation and cloud computing environments.”