Security Stays Strong

ENDPOINT SECURITY
Endpoint security tools such as antiphishing, antispam and communications security continue to give VARs a financial edge, according to the Everything Channel State of Technology: Security survey.

According to the results, 47 percent of solution providers said endpoint security tools are the top security products that fuel sales, putting endpoint security products fourth just behind data loss prevention products, antimalware and perimeter security.

But despite endpoint security being a sales catalyst, it still has a ways to climb. Just 11 percent of respondents said they plan to add an endpoint security product offering to their arsenal over the next 18 months.

Other facets of endpoint security are gathering steam. Communications security, for example, is creeping up and generating growing sales, with 13 percent of solution providers indicating they expect communications security to grow fastest in the next year. Another 9.3 percent of solution providers said they see communications security becoming the most profitable in the next month. Meanwhile, nearly 15 percent said unified threat management, which typically includes some endpoint security features, will become more profitable within the year.

The expected growth potential for endpoint security over the next 12 to 18 months will be most dominant in small to midsize companies of 100 to 499 employees, with about 38 percent of VARs that serve that market noting it has the greatest growth potential, the highest for companies of that size. Endpoint security also shows strong growth potential in small companies of 20 to 99 employees and midsize to large companies of 500 to 999 employees.

Solution providers' plans for endpoint security solutions could be attributed to the evolving threat landscape targeting devices. For example, 37.5 percent of VARs said phishing/social engineering is the biggest security threat now, and 27 percent of solution providers feel it will remain the largest security threat within the next 12 to 18 months. Vishing, social engineering that utilizes VoIP, is also gaining some recognition, with 9 percent of solution providers predicting it will be a huge threat in the next year to 18 months.

Ladi Adefala, security practice manager for World Wide Technology Inc., a St. Louis-based solution provider, said the evolving threat landscape, along with other factors, are contributing to the growing interest in endpoint security.

"Solution providers are still enjoying the revenue growth and profitability in this area because these solutions typically tie back into other infrastructure pieces, which gives visibility to other customer needs and initiatives."

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