PDF version of this report
You must have Adobe Acrobat reader to view, save, or print PDF files. The
reader is available for free
download.

Leading Network Security Providers

by Faulkner Staff

Copyright 2020, Faulkner Information Services. All
Rights Reserved.

Docid: 00021149

Publication Date: 2005

Report Type: MARKET

Preview

Since enterprise networks are critical assets, selecting the best
enterprise network security solutions is absolutely vital. Those in charge
of enterprise security should be implementing solutions that can
counteract traditional threats like viruses as well as protect information
exposed on cloud and virtualized environments. Today, the leading
network security providers include AT&T, Dell SecureWorks, IBM,
Broadcom, and Verizon Enterprise.

Report Contents:

• Executive Summary
• Market Dynamics
• Market Leaders
• Market Trends
• Strategic Planning
  Implications
• Web Links
• Related Reports

Executive Summary

[return to top of this
report]

Information is the lifeblood of the modern enterprise, and, to extend the
metaphor, enterprise networks – voice and data – are the arteries, veins,
and capillaries, each serving as an essential conduit for communicating
data between employees, between employees and customers, between employees
and business partners, and between employees and other enterprise
stakeholders.

Since networks are considered critical assets worthy of special, even
extraordinary, protection, enterprise officials devote tens to hundreds of
thousands, of dollars to network security. In fact, since virtually all
information systems and appliances are connected to an enterprise network,
the term “network security” is virtually synonymous with the
term “information security.” Also, the term “network management” has come
to mean, in large measure, “network security management.”

As one might suspect, the field of network security is both broad and
complicated:

At the simplest level, it encompasses a wide array of network security
applications, notably anti-virus, firewall, and content filtering. On a
more complex level, services will often include intrusion prevention and
data loss prevention, as well as newer functions, such as vulnerability
management and network forensics. These security measures can be be
administered by enterprise employees (especially in “teleworking”
environments), or the enterprise Security Department as an overall network
service.

In the case of small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which may lack
the personnel to pursue an effective network security program, network
security operations may be outsourced – in whole or in part – to managed
network security providers (MNSPs), or, as they’re more commonly
designated, managed security services providers (MSSPs). In addition to
SMEs, MSSP clients may include small and large enterprises which:

• Do not consider network security a core competency.
• Do not wish to invest in the recruitment, retention, and
  near-continual training of network security specialists.
• Are alarmed at the prospect of major security breaches, such as those
  famously suffered by Target and Sony.
• Are concerned about complying with a myriad of security and privacy
  laws and regulation.
• Wish to stabilize, or render predictable, their network security
  expenses which are generally less in a managed services atmosphere.

Market Dynamics

[return to top of this
report]

In 2019, the global market for outsourcing was $92.5 billion USD .¹
In terms of network security spending, enterprise clients will look
to major providers, like Verizon, IBM, et al., to protect IT systems
organized around new computing requirements, such as:

• Cloud Computing, itself a variation on the managed
  services concept.
• Virtualization, in which real servers are
  partitioned into tens or even hundreds of virtual servers.
• Social Networking, especially as enterprises exploit
  sites such as Facebook and Twitter for their marketing potential.
• Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) / Mobility, satisfying
  employee demands to use their personal laptops, smartphones, and tablets
  for business purposes.
• Vulnerability Management, as enterprises attempt to
  anticipate new, targeted network threats.
• Compliance Monitoring, as enterprises struggle to
  demonstrate their conformance with a myriad of security and privacy
  regulations and standards.

Whatever lingering reservations that enterprise management might retain
relative to entrusting enterprise security to a managed security services
provider are slowing vanishing as the reality of the “virtual enterprise”
environment becomes more evident. An MSSP is becoming just another link in
an ever-expanding enterprise supply chain.

Market Leaders

[return to top of this
report]

The leading network services providers, according to many, if not most,
analysts, are:

• From the telecommunications sector – AT&T
  and Verizon Enterprise.
• From the computer industry – IBM.
• From the security sector – Dell
  SecureWorks and Broadcom.

Each provider offers an extensive and highly-regarded, portfolio of
managed (i.e., network) security services.

AT&T

AT&T offers an impressive portfolio of security, availability, and
recovery services that provide integrated business continuity and security
solutions for complex network environments. Network security services
include:

• AT&T Secure Network Gateway Service – Combines
  AT&T DDoS (Deliberate Denial of Services) Defense Service, AT&T
  Network-Based Firewall Service, AT&T Secure E-Mail Gateway Service
  and AT&T Web Security Service into one multi-layered security
  service for comprehensive protection.
• E-mail Security – Screens inbound e-mail for
  malicious attacks, filters outbound e-mail for privacy breaches, and
  provides e-mail encryption and archiving for compliance all as a cloud
  service.
• Web Security – Scans inbound and outbound traffic and
  blocks access to specific websites to help safeguard the network against
  spyware, viruses and other threats that can enter via the Internet.
• Firewall Security – Helps keep unwanted traffic out
  of the network and vital data in. Helps defend the network against
  unauthorized connections.
• AT&T Mobile Security – Integrates device-level
  security features with network-based security controls and encrypted
  transport for a comprehensive, holistic approach to enterprise mobile
  security.
• Security Incident & Event Management – Gathers
  and analyzes information from multiple devices and device types across
  the enterprise to correlate alerts and prioritize security events based
  on threat and risk management methodologies.
• Threat Management – Delivers the expertise, tools and
  management needed to help mitigate risks. Clients receive 24×7 data
  collection, monitoring and threat analysis conducted by a team of
  security experts in the AT&T Security Operations Center (SOC).
• Security Consulting – Follows a holistic, customized
  approach to address almost any security challenge. Certified security
  consultants can help develop solutions that not only protect your data,
  but enable clients to operate as a trusted enterprise.
• AT&T Netbond – A customized link between a
  customer’s applications and the cloud, with full support for mobile
  frameworks.

Dell SecureWorks

Dell SecureWorks offers a wide range of security services designed to
protect network assets and ensure compliance with a host of security and
privacy regulations and standards, including GLBA, PCI, SOX, HIPAA, NERC
CIP, and ISO 27001/17799.

• Managed IPS / IDS – Full lifecycle
  management and 24×7 monitoring of network Intrusion Prevention or
  Detection Systems.
• – Full lifecycle management and 24×7 monitoring of Firewall
  appliances.
• Managed Web Application Firewall – Full
  lifecycle
  management
  and
  24×7 monitoring Web Application Firewalls.
• Managed Host IPS – Expert
  management and 24×7 monitoring of host-based IPS deployments.
• Log Monitoring – 24×7 real-time
  analysis of logs and alerts from security devices, network
  infrastructure, servers and other key assets by certified security
  experts.
• SIM On-Demand – Automated
  aggregation, correlation and analysis of log data from security devices,
  network infrastructure, servers, and other key assets.
• Log Retention – Collection,
  archival, search and reporting of raw log data from security devices,
  network infrastructure, servers and other log sources.
• CTU Intelligence Services Actionable information on
  emerging threats and vulnerabilities from the Counter Threat Unit
  research team.
• Vulnerability Management – Internal and external
  vulnerability scanning managed by security experts to identify and
  remediate exposures.
• Web Application Scanning – Scanning of Web
  applications to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.
• Web Security Service – URL
  filtering, Web content filtering and Web policy enforcement to protect
  against inbound and outbound Web-borne threats.
• Security and Risk Consulting –
  Expertise, processes and services to help you improve security, comply
  with regulations and manage risk.

IBM

IBM Managed Security Services delivers the expertise, tools, and
infrastructure to secure clients’ information assets from Internet attacks
24/7/365. Standard services include:

• Security Intelligence Analyst –
  See below.
• Firewall Management – As with
  Dell SecureWorks, this service offers full lifecycle management and 24×7
  monitoring of Firewall appliances.
• Unified Threat Management – An
  expansion upon the traditional firewall that includes a wider range of
  protections, including intrusion prevention, anti-spam, and content
  filtering measures.
• Event and Log Management – Nearly
  identical
  to
  Dell’s
  Log Monitoring offering, with the same range of supported devices and
  networks.
• Vulnerability Management – A
  service to identify and prevent exposure to security flaws before they
  are exploited. 
• Mobile Device Security – Security
  services
  specifically
  designed
  to secure the mobile device’s on a given enterprise’s network, including
  company owned and BYOD units.
• Network Detection – A system for detecting
  intrusions and attempted incursions into an enterprise network.
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
  – An offering for remediating and managing security events
  and issues.
• Identity and Access Management – Managed
  monitoring
  and
  supervision
  of permission control for various networks and devices.
• Hosted Application Security Management – A
  security service specifically designed to protect hosted applications
  installations on-premise and in the cloud.
• Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Protection
  – Protection against DDoS attacks designed to bring down a
  company’s Web site, app, or other online asset.
• Application Security – Security for installed
  applications.
• Email and Web Security – Security for an
  enterprise’s corporate email and Web-based communications systems, as
  well as their Web site. 
• X-Force Hosted Threat Analysis – A team of
  specifically tasked personnel given the job of analyzing and preventing
  potential threats from harming a customer.

The MSS Security Intelligence Analyst helps:

• Clients who need help understanding and prioritizing vulnerabilities.
• Clients looking for deeper insight regarding security technologies.
• Clients looking to keep up on security trends in order to anticipate
  changes and plan accordingly.
• Clients who are under attack and need detailed security advice
  quickly.
• Network or security administrators who desire assistance in
  interpreting security data, and/or adjusting security device policies in
  response to security events.

Broadcom

Broadcom purchased Symantec’s Cyber Security Services in 2019. The Cyber
Security Managed Security Services minimize the potential business impact
of increasingly sophisticated and targeted attacks by reducing the time it
takes to detect, assess and respond to security incidents. The MSS
portfolio includes:

• Information Security – An integrated set of data protection and cloud
  security solutions to help organizations protect data wherever it
  resides.
• Identity Security – Can balance digital trust and great user
  experiences—in any environment, on any device and through any
  application.
• Symantec Endpoint Security – Keeps sensitive information stored on
  devices. Includes support for storage and data center devices and
  Endpoint Security Complete (includes mobile endpoints); Threat Hunting
  Center; Managed EDR; and Endpoint Management.
• 
  Network Security – Web and email security offerings, as well as a shared
  set of advanced threat protection technologies. It includes: Secure Web
  Gateway; Web Isolation; Email & Email.Cloud; Content Analysis with
  Sandboxing; and Security Analytics/SSLV

Verizon Enterprise

Verizon’s Managed Security Services – Monitoring and Analytics solutions
include:

• Premium Monitoring and Analytics – Monitors and
  manages the security devices that control network traffic with log
  monitoring and analysis, incident investigation, and handling by the
  SOC.
• Advanced Threat Intelligence and Monitoring –
  Proactively monitors and hunts for signs of targeted and complex attacks
  with in-depth, packet-level analysis using automated and human
  analytics.
• Advanced Threat Detection – Offers expert help in
  analyzing netflow traffic as it travels the IP network, and then
  provides detailed analysis of indicators of compromise or actual
  attacks.
• Netflow Monitoring – Automated collection and
  analysis of netflow data from Verizon’s IP backbone network, to discover
  early indicators of compromise and suspicious communications.

Market Trends

[return to top of this
report]

While enterprise planners may take a risk on an up and coming
application provider, network security is another matter. This, no doubt,
explains the regular, almost automatic, appearance of security industry
stalwarts, like IBM and Verizon Enterprise, at the top of most network
security provider compilations. Needless to say, this trend should
continue.

Where differentiation among the major providers may occur – and where
opportunity lies for future niche vendors – is in the providers’ handling
of new and emerging computing and networking paradigms, particularly:

• The Rapid Adoption of Cloud Computing – With
  respect to cloud computing, the successful managed security services
  provider will be expected to manage not only the client’s enterprise
  network but the various enterprise-cloud network connections.

• The Under-Reported, but Potentially More Disruptive,
  Transition to IPv6 – Internet Protocol version 6 is the next
  generation of the IP protocol, that has succeed IPv4 and will become the
  basis for future enterprise intranets, and the Internet. IPv6 provides
  easier administration, an expanded addressing scheme, and, most
  importantly, tighter security. Ironically, however, the path to tighter
  security may lead to lesser security during a prolonged and complicated
  implementation cycle.

• Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) –
  A movement in which enterprise users, who are also consumers, pressure
  enterprise IT departments to allow the connection of consumer-grade
  devices such as smartphones and tablets to enterprise networks. Like
  the first PCs, these devices provide little security and expose
  enterprise networks to malware infiltration along their endpoint
  perimeter.

• Targeted Attack Protection
  – According to Gartner, “An emerging driver is support for the
  protection from and detection of targeted attacks through MSSP
  knowledge of the external threat environment, through insight gained
  from monitoring events from a broad and global customer base, through
  MSSP-based advanced analytics, or through MSSP monitoring of
  customer-deployed next-generation protection and detection
  capabilities.”²

Additional challenges for network security providers will be vertical,
as specific sectors expand their network operations. Examples include:

• Utilities – Increasingly, “smart grid” components
  will be connected to enterprise networks over the Internet. This is a
  major concern since one of the reasons electric grids are relatively
  secure today is their lack of connectivity.

• Healthcare – Hospitals and other healthcare providers
  want electronic medical records and tools for inventory tracking and
  allocation. Ensuring compliance with the Health Insurance Portability
  and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is imperative.

The network security provider community will benefit from the cloud
computing phenomenon as cloud computing further legitimizes the notion of
managed services. In fact, what could be a more compatible pairing than
cloud computing and network security provision (which could be positioned,
from a marketing perspective, as “network security in the cloud”)?

Strategic Planning Implications

[return to top of this
report]

Considering the stakes – the integrity and confidentiality of enterprise
information, and the smooth and reliable operation of enterprise
information systems that support critical enterprise business functions –
the selection of a network security provider is a matter of strategic
importance to the enterprise and a key predictor of enterprise success.

The search should be conducted through the enterprise request for
proposal (RFP) process, in which enterprise stakeholders, including IT,
Security, and Finance, are afforded the opportunity to probe the
credentials and qualifications of prospective network security providers.
Table 1 offers a categorized list of key provider questions.³

References

¹ “Global Market Size of Outsourced Services from 2000 to 2019
(in billion U.S. dollars)*” accessed May, 19, 2020, https://www.statista.com/statistics/189788/global-outsourcing-market-size/

² Kelly M. Kavanagh. “Magic Quadrant for Global MSSPs.”
Gartner, Inc. February 26, 2014.

³ Adapted from “Request for Information (RFI) on Information
Security Outsourcing.” Network Computing and CMP Media, LLC.

Web Links

[return to top of this
report]

• AT&T: http://www.att.com/
• Broadcom: http://www.broadcom.com/
• Dell SecureWorks: http://www.secureworks.com./
• IBM: http://www.ibm.com/
• Verizon Enterprise: http://www.verizonenterprise.com/

[return to top of this
report]