On the heels of the recently concluded RSA event, ABI Research is out with its latest study on how the various Internet security solutions providers stake up. What is interesting is that there are some household names up at the top of the various categories, but as the changing nature and complexity of cyber threats intensifies there are also some top performers that may come as a surprise.

Topping the ABI Internet Security Software List

As they say at the various entertainment industry awards ceremonies, “The envelope please!” Let’s start at the top. ABI ranked Kaspersky Lab first, followed by McAfee and Avira.

Of interest is that Avira finished first in Innovation. ABI feels says this is a result of “A rich feature set for its product suites, consistent high scoring on performance with independent testers, and a strategic business model development.” It also likes Avast!, which came in second the category based on being the most competitively priced product, while BitDefender placed third due to the high-level quality of its solutions. This was exemplified by it being according to ABI’s researchers, “One of the top performing product suites in the market.”

Getting down to brass tacks, McAfee ranked first in Implementation. The researchers said this was based on the comprehensiveness of its product line, and oddly because of its market share, which one would think is not a metric for measuring performance. It liked McAfee’s strategic partnerships along with its Global Threat Intelligence technology. Finishing tied for second in the category were Kaspersky Lab and Symantec. 

The big guys’ domination of the category is not a surprise based on their global reach, extensive solutions portfolios and ability to provide first rate global support. The latter being a critical element in helping multinationals. The fact that they each all have extensive R&D weighed heavily in the rankings as well.

"The Internet Security Software is becoming much more relevant as simple anti-virus products fall short of tackling APTs and sophisticated cyber-attacks. Leading vendors now offer anti-phishing, anti-theft, privacy and identity protection, secure online transactions, mobile support, sandboxing, and cloud services among other rich features to offer top-tier security products," comments senior analyst Michela Menting.

The good folks at ABI nailed it when they stated, “The Internet Security Software market is the emerging defacto standard for end-point security solutions today. Internet connectivity is moving beyond PCs and laptops, to include all manner of mobile and consumer devices… Security solutions need to address more than antivirus and anti-spam to cover anti-theft capabilities, privacy protections, and remote management. The Internet Security market for the business segment has to tackle security in a holistic and multitiered manner end-to-end if it wants to stay relevant in a highly dynamic technological environment.”

This message was in fact the buzz of RSA. The world is changing rapidly, and the frequency and sophistication of attacks is exploding as BYOD, virtualization and all things cloud have made the jobs of Chief Security Officers (CSOs) a real challenge, and changed the way enterprises and service providers of all sizes look at risk management. 

In fact, TMC will be hosting an important one-day event, “SeureIT: Protecting Your Enterprise in a BYOD World,” on July 23, 2013 at the Kimmel Center on the New York University campus. Save the date, and be sure to check www.tmcnet.com in the next few days for program registration and content details.


Edited by Rachel Ramsey