The AMI study notes that SMBs are the most vulnerable segment in terms of data security. Two reason for this is the increasing instances of cyber threats and a lack of expertise among SMBs in handling such threats. Security software accounts for 73% of the total SMB security expenditure. "The bulk of this amount is spent on antivirus software. Security for SBs ( is confined mainly to the deployment of an antivirus solution and the majority of them lack proper processes and policies for security management," says Mr. Abhilash.
The dependence on web-based enterprise solutions and sharing of critical data on corporate networks is rising rapidly among MBs. As employee size increases, the thrust on information security also rises. Even for basic security solutions, upper segment MBs (500 to 999 employees) lead the way in terms of technology adoption. Adoption of network firewall and IDS/IPS shows significant growth among businesses in this category. On one hand the growth rate of traditional security solutions such as anti-virus is falling; on the other hand, anti-spyware and anti-spam solutions will record growth rates of nearly 26% among Indian SMBs this year.
The AMI study notes that manufacturing is increasingly becoming one of the most data intensive verticals; security managers of these firms are concerned about the possibility of data leakage of process information, product design, shipping transactions, and inventory and customer details. Information security investments are also increasing in the micro-verticals involved in accounting, auditing and book keeping, advertising and PR, research consulting, computer and data processing and legal services.
Managed security services (MSS) is one of the key trends in the SMB security space. The AMI study says that the market for managed security services is expected to grow at approximately 21% this year. But the main challenge of service providers will be to convince SMBs to lose their inhibitions in trusting external organizations to handle their internal security. AMI foresees a greater traction in this space once SMBs start realizing that security is better managed by MSS providers than the generalists in their IT department. Another trend is the increasing adoption of unified threat management (UTM); traction will increase as more SMBs look for a proactive and unified approach to securing IT infrastructure.
