Cybersecurity: Tech to Buy, Tech to Watch, What’s the Scoop?

September 26, 2019

Cybersecurity: Tech to Buy, Tech to Watch, What’s the Scoop?

When it comes to deciding what cybersecurity technology to invest in, compiling data can keep you from acquiring something that sits on the shelf, impossible to deploy. All that research helps you and your board understand where to invest and why. But the process is so time-consuming.

You’re looking for answers to questions like:

Where are the technology gaps in my security program?
What technologies are other organizations investing in?
What sorts of results have these products, services and solutions produced elsewhere?
What do the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and Return on Investment (ROI) propositions look like?
What tech do you need? (For example, industry news sites make clear that identity is hot and so is email security (it has to be because 90% of all phishing attacks arrive via email)). But where do things like cloud security, zero trust, serverless computing frameworks and container security (to name a few) fit in your long-term plans?
How do data privacy regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) affect your business?
And while we’re at it, who bought who?

Cybersecurity technology buying trends

So many questions… Is there a trend in identity management? What new tech is emerging and what threats does it address? What’s changed since last year, and what were the key drivers? What’s the outlook – long-term and short-term – for this technology? What about strategic market activity and key drivers of the change? And critically, how does it integrate strategically into your business?

Let’s look at those buying trends.

From 2017 to 2018, spending on [identity management] as a category grew by more than 45%. Two subsets of IM saw significant individual growth as well: privileged access management (PAM) grew by 25% and Identity and Access Management (IAM) grew by over 55%.

And Technology to watch? Here’s one: You probably don’t think of endpoint security as a new or emerging topic, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth keeping an eye on. Why? Our research shows the focus is shifting away from different products and agents installed on each endpoint. In particular we see new tech focusing on operationalizing capabilities (such as endpoint telemetry data to improve detection and response, refining threat hunting and integrating sensor data feeds into complementary security solutions).

So what are the key drivers behind a change like this? What’s the outlook for endpoint security in general?

That’s a great question, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer. Keeping up with and evaluating cybersecurity technologies can be a continuous and ongoing challenge for even the most sophisticated and best resourced organizations.

Cybersecurity technology buyers and influencers can make more informed decisions by understanding peer buying behaviors. You need a barometer of key focus areas and investment priorities full of rich data points based on research from two vendors (not just one take). You also need a unique perspective on industry trends and detailed “peer insights” to help contextualize your organization’s specific challenges.

Conclusion

Don’t spend hours researching trends. You don’t have to go it alone. We’ve partnered with another cybersecurity leader to provide insights into buying and technology trends. Read more in our 2019 Security Technology Spend Insights Report.