Critical.
Authoritative.
Strategic.
Subscribe to CIO Magazine »

Antivirus software sales expected to show strong growth in 2012

As hackers continue to strike businesses, the security industry is expected to have a big year

The prevalence with which hackers are handing out headaches to IT security pros will have a big upside for vendors in the coming year, according to new figures from Canalys.

The analyst company predicts enterprise security software investments will increase 8.7 percent year-on-year for 2012, reaching US$22.9 billion worldwide.

Although antivirus software has been assailed for not keeping up with emerging threats, it will be one of the sources of growth because it is still considered a required base level of security. That segment is expected to grow 6.8 percent year-on-year.

Canalys also said smaller vendors will chip away at the dominance of companies such as Symantec, Trend Micro and McAfee. One of the fastest growing vendors is Kaspersky Lab, and others gaining market share include Panda Security, F-Secure, Eset and AVG.

Many small businesses now do not realize that they need to secure data just as much as larger business, Canalys said. Those small companies tend to have consumer buying patterns when it comes to selecting security software and are more price sensitive than knowledgeable about threats.

Vendors are making it easier for SMBs to buy antivirus software through online stores, Canalys said. Symantec allows businesses to buy up to 1,000 licenses online, and others such as McAfee, Sophos, Trend Micro and Kaspersky Lab have volume licensing deals online.

The strategic move is aimed at gaining more share in the high-volume, low-value end of the SMB market, Canalys said.

Send news tips and comments to jeremy_kirk@idg.com

Join the CIO Australia group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.

More about: AVG (AU/NZ) Pty Ltd, Eset, F-Secure, Kaspersky, Kaspersky Lab, McAfee, Panda, Panda Security, Sophos, Symantec, Trend Micro

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
Users posting comments agree to the CIO comments policy.
Login or register to link comments to your user profile, or you may also post a comment without being logged in.
Related Coverage
Related Whitepapers
Latest Stories
Community Comments
Tags: antivirus, avg, Canalys, eset, f-secure, kaspersky lab, mcafee, panda security, security, sophos, trend micro
Latest Blog Posts
Whitepapers
  • Case Study: HJ Heinz
    Heinz has trusted Sophos to protect its desktop users and email systems from malware and spam for many years. As part of its multi-tier approach to IT security, the company needed more robust protection against web-based threats and the use of unauthorised applications.
    Learn more »
  • Why Hackers have Turned to Malicious JavaScript Attacks
    Website attacks have become a serious business proposition. In the past, hackers may have infected websites to gain notoriety or just to prove they could—but today, it’s all about the money. Reaching unsuspecting users through the web is easy and effective. Hackers now use sophisticated techniques—like injecting inline JavaScript—to spread malware through the web. Learn about the threat of malicious JavaScript attacks, and how they work. Understand how cybercriminals make money with these types of attacks and why IT managers should be vigilant.
    Learn more »
  • Developing an Information Strategy - Strategize, Align, Govern, Execute, and Optimize
    An information strategy defines how a company will use the data it collects to achieve a competitive advantage. It is a comprehensive, constantly evolving plan that encompasses five distinct actions. In this white paper we explore how these five vital actions, as well as the technologies that enable and support them, can help organizations develop an effective and broad-reaching information strategy that drives positive change.
    Learn more »
All whitepapers
rhs_login_lockGet exclusive access to Invitation only events CIO, reports & analysis.