2017 Security 100: 25 Coolest Network Security Vendors

Coolest Network Security Vendors

Network security offerings provide the foundation for many companies’ security portfolios. However, the space has demanded change, as network perimeters disappear and threats continue to penetrate at an ever-increasing pace. To meet that, there has been an emergence of new offerings in the largely mature market segment, including around next-generation firewall, firewall management, cloud, analytics and more. That has driven strong growth in demand for network security offerings, with the enterprise firewall market alone expected to hit $8.41 billion by 2019, according to research firm MarketsandMarkets. As part of CRN's annual Security 100 list, here are 25 network security vendors that are stepping up their game to meet continued needs for security around the network.

AlgoSec

Yuval Baron, CEO

Headquarters: Ridgefield Park, N.J.

AlgoSec is looking to help companies simplify increasingly complicated network security environments, with tools to automate and orchestrate network security management from the firewall to the cloud. From there, companies can analyze risk, provision business application connectivity, and automate firewall rule changes and network security policies.

Attivo Networks

Tushar Kothari, CEO

Headquarters: Newton, Mass.

Attivo Networks uses deception technology to detect, investigate and help remediate attacks already inside the network, including user networks, data centers, cloud, SCADA, the Internet of Things and point of sale. The company expanded on its channel-centric approach in 2016 with the launch of its inaugural partner program.

Bastille Networks

Chris Risley, CEO

Headquarters: Atlanta

Bastille Networks touts itself as the first cybersecurity company to detect and mitigate threats from the Internet of Things. The company uses security sensors, software and airborne emission detection to scan, detect, localize and assess an organization's environment for threats.

Cato Networks

Shlomo Kramer, CEO

Headquarters: Alpharetta, Ga.

Cato Networks looks to redefine the security perimeter, using the cloud to consolidate WAN and internet traffic, and layer enterprise-grade security offerings – such as a next-generation firewall – on top. The company landed $30 million in Series C funding last fall.

Check Point Software Technologies

Gil Shwed, CEO

Headquarters: Tel Aviv, Israel

One of the biggest players in security, Check Point Software Technologies has an extensive network security portfolio that includes next-generation threat prevention, next-generation firewalls and security management. The $1.7 billion security vendor has also expanded beyond the network, with offerings for mobile, cloud and more.

Cisco Systems

Chuck Robbins, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

Cisco has jumped into the security market in a big way, reaching $2 billion in security revenue in 2016. The company's "Security Everywhere" strategy includes investments around next-generation firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, cloud, email, network visibility and enforcement, advanced malware protection, VPN, policy, router security, web, and security management.

Claroty

Amir Zilberstein, CEO

Headquarters: New York

Claroty is focused on securing industrial control and operational technology environments, with a technology for visibility, real-time monitoring and analytics. The Israeli security startup landed some high-profile attention for its technology, landing $32 million in funding and adding former FireEye CEO Dave DeWalt to its board of directors.

Fidelis Cybersecurity

Peter George, CEO

Headquarters: Bethesda, Md.

Fidelis Cybersecurity is looking to deliver the next generation of intrusion prevention systems, bringing together intrusion prevention systems, advanced malware protection, network forensics and data loss prevention into a single offering. By doing that, companies can detect attacks at every stage, instead of those just targeting known vulnerabilities, and coordinate a faster, more automated response.

FireEye

Kevin Mandia, CEO

Headquarters: Milpitas, Calif.

FireEye has expanded beyond its advanced threat protection roots, investing in a full platform of security capabilities around network, endpoint, threat analytics, threat intelligence, orchestration, email and FireEye-as-a-Service. The result is what CEO Kevin Mandia called the "next generation" of FireEye.

FireMon

Satin Mirchandani, CEO

Headquarters: Overland Park, Kan.

FireMon is looking to help companies manage increasing security complexity, with a security management offering to consolidate firewall rules, validate firewall polices against compliance and automate policy changes across the network. The result, the company says, is reduced complexity, lower total cost of ownership and fewer security gaps.

Forcepoint

Matthew Moynahan, CEO

Headquarters: Austin, Texas

Formed from the merger of a division of Raytheon, Websense, the McAfee Next-Generation Firewall and McAfee Firewall Enterprisebusinesses, and Imperva's Skyfence, Forcepoint is entering 2017 looking to bring a new approach to platform security that focuses on intellectual property and asset protection.

ForeScout Technologies

Michael DeCesare, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

With $80 million of funding in hand and a more than $1 billion valuation, ForeScout's technology looks to capitalize on the exploding Internet of Things market, providing an agentless visibility, enforcement and orchestration security offering for all connected devices.

Fortinet

Ken Xie, CEO

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.

Fortinet is a $1.28 billion network security vendor that has expanded to offer a platform strategy it calls the "Security Fabric." This platform includes a full security portfolio, including firewalls, wireless, advanced persistent threat detection, switching, application, identity and access management, virtual security and security management.

Illusive Networks

Ofer Israeli, CEO

Headquarters: New York

Illusive Networks is breaking its way into the emerging market for deception technologies. Its Deception Everywhere solution uses an agentless approach to "turn the tables on attackers" by installing decoy data onto laptops, desktops, servers, data centers and more to root out attackers already in the environment.

Juniper Networks

Rami Rahim, CEO

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.

Juniper is another networking vendor stalwart looking to grow in the security space, with offerings around next-generation firewalls, firewall appliances, IPS, advanced threat protection, application security, cloud security and more. It also recently added new offerings for the midmarket, including firewall appliances and extending advanced threat protection to the cloud.

Opaq Networks

Glenn Hazard, CEO

Headquarters: Herndon, Va.

Launched in January 2017 with $21 million in funding, Opaq Networks offers a network security-as-a-service solution that uses the cloud to provide centralized delivery of threat management, network access control, application control, URL andfile type filtering, and SSL decryption.

Palo Alto Networks

Mark McLaughlin, CEO

Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.

Palo Alto Networks defined the market for next-generation firewalls, and now it is looking to do the same with the platform security market by bringing together virtual and appliance firewalls, endpoint, SaaS and application security, threat intelligence, and security management into a single, integrated platform.

ProtectWise

Scott Chasin, CEO

Headquarters: Denver

ProtectWise is a 100 percent channel company with a network security offering that leverages the cloud for better visibility, detection and response capabilities. To do that, it uses software sensors to record network activity in the cloud, which can be "rewound" for detection or breach forensics.

Skyhigh Networks

Rajiv Gupta, CEO

Headquarters: Campbell, Calif.

Skyhigh Networks is one of the largest stand-alone cloud access security brokers, offering a single platform through which companies can gain visibility into cloud application usage, implement cloud security controls, add data security protections and detect security threats.

SonicWall

Bill Conner, CEO

Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.

SonicWall emerged as a stand-alone security vendor last fall, following a spinout from parent company Dell. The company focuses on bringing enterprise-grade network security offerings down to the SMB, including firewalls, wireless access, unified threat management and advanced threat protection.

Tenable Network Security

Amit Yoran, CEO

Headquarters: Columbia, Md.

Tenable is one of the rising stars in the security startup space, with offerings for vulnerability assessment and management, visibility and analytics. The company has been on a high growth trajectory, with $230 million in funding and the appointment of well-known security executive Amit Yoran as CEO.

TrapX Security

Gregory Enriquez, CEO

Headquarters: San Mateo, Calif.

TrapX Security is looking to capitalize on the growing market for deception technologies. Its DeceptionGrid platform uses three layers of both static and active traps to lure attackers, helping pinpoint advanced attacks, zero days and insider threats. The company has raised $19 million in funding to date.

Versa Networks

Kelly Ahuja, CEO

Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.

Founded by former Juniper execs, Versa Networks launched from stealth in 2015 with a software-defined WAN portfolio, which includes carrier-grade software that run on white-box, commodity hardware. From there, companies can layer on security technologies, including next-generation firewalls, malware protection, URL and content filtering, intrusion prevention systems, DDoS and VPN.

WatchGuard Technologies

Prakash Panjwani, CEO

Headquarters: Seattle

WatchGuard Technologies is a network security company focusing on SMBs and distributed enterprises. As those markets face increasing security threats on tighter budgets than the enterprise, WatchGuard offers them a portfolio that includes unified threat management, next-generation firewall, secure Wi-Fi and network visibility solutions.

Zscaler

Jay Chaudhry, CEO

Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.

Zscaler looks to use the cloud to redefine internet security as traditional security perimeters disappear, offering a platform to bring a portfolio of security-as-a-service solutions to protect web traffic. Those security capabilities include a cloud firewall, advanced persistent threat protection, data loss prevention, SSL decryption, traffic shaping, policy management and threat intelligence.