Report: Tackling The Challenge of Information Protection in the Enterprise (Strategic Focus) TOC

The current levels of information risk are neither sustainable nor acceptable
Security has become the top concern of IT decision makers, primarily to deal with data risk
Increased connectivity and mobility force protection to focus on the units of information
DLP will be the dominant mode of Information Protection, but its scope will widen to include IRM and key management
The variety of data loss incidents highlights the challenge in formulating an Information Protection strategy
The consolidation and convergence trends in Information Protection will accelerate

The current levels of information risk are neither sustainable nor acceptable
Security has become the top concern of IT decision makers, primarily to deal with data risk
The damage of data loss incidents goes far beyond their direct costs
Many drivers are fuelling the growth of the Information Protection opportunity
Information protection is broadening its appeal beyond early adopters

The limits of Information Protection are still unclear since the technology is at an early stage of its evolution
IT security is transitioning away from legacy security models, but mindsets lag technology
Increased connectivity and mobility are prompting enterprises to focus security on information itself
Technical and organizational challenges stand in the way of information-centric security
The value of Information Protection is in translating business requirements to decisions on data usage
DLP will be the dominant mode of Information Protection, but its scope will widen to include IRM and key management
Recent vendor actions point towards the future direction of Information Protection

Data loss has become a high profile issue among enterprises and regulators
- Many real-life examples demonstrate the prevalence of data loss
- The average annual cost of data loss is $1.82m among enterprises that can quantify it
- Reported data loss represents a very small proportion of the real problem

The large diversity of data loss incidents highlights the challenge in formulating an Information Protection strategy
Enterprises need Information Protection to maintain acceptable levels of risk
Information protection technologies are increasing their significance among all enterprises

A range of established vendors have clamored to enter the Information Protection market
The evolution of the market is still at an early stage, but some leaders have emerged
- Symantec enjoys a strong lead in the DLP market, but many challenges persist
- McAfee has quickly expanded its presence in Information Protection through acquisitions
- EMC/RSA has a unique set of advantages that will allow it to strengthen its position in the market
- Websense has significant market share, but its tactical approach and lack of breadth need to be addressed

The market leaders are likely to be challenged by newcomers as the opportunity grows
The consolidation and convergence trends in Information Protection will accelerate

Messaging in terms of risk management and compliance will resonate well with customers
Management and services overheads will be an important customer concern
Automating classification, and providing policy templates are important differentiators
Vendors looking to expand beyond English-speaking markets need to invest in localization
Information protection vendors must clarify their position relative to identity management

Table: The growth in global Information Protection markets, 2007 to 2013 ($ millions)
Table: Examples of data loss incidents

Figure: Between 2006 and 2008 data volumes have grown threefold, and are expected to be 8 times the 2006 levels by 2010
Figure: Improving security has become the top concern of IT decision markers
Figure: The likely effects of data loss on the enterprise.
Figure: The global Information Protection market will continue to attract significant investments
Figure: Information protection technologies fill a significant gap in enterprise security
Figure: Data security was less of an issue in IT architectures with limited mobility and connectivity
Figure: The open and permeable nature of enterprise IT means that information assets must be protected
Figure: Information protection systems will fill the gap between business requirements and enforcement
Figure: The number of reported data loss incidents has continued to rise rapidly
Figure: The estimated value of different classes of corporate data.
Figure: The majority of data loss goes unreported, or remains undiscovered
Figure: Outside attacks have become a dominant mode of data loss
Figure: Reported incidents show a noticeable diversity in data loss vectors
Figure: Vendors from diverse backgrounds are competing for a share of the Information Protection market
Figure: The number of M&A deals in the enterprise security market remains very high

Tackling The Challenge of Information Protection in the Enterprise (Strategic Focus)