SHIFT Security Public Relations

Security Industry Overview

Whether you call it Web 2.0, Security 2.0, or next-generation IT, the simple fact is technology has changed the way we live our lives and conduct our business. Recent advancements from social networking to video sharing to online banking demonstrate that we are more connected and dependent on digital content than ever before. Yet, like the early days of the West and famous quote from Willy Sutton to rob banks “because that's where the money is,” this brave, new always-on digital world is not entirely safe. The threat landscape is ever-changing and hackers, phishers and scammers continue to find insidious ways to challenge corporate and personal information security.

Enterprises need to keep their infrastructures up and running 24x7x365, and IT security is a must. End users want access to information anytime and anywhere. The network perimeter has fallen and securing data within applications, databases and websites has become more critical than protecting devices. Study after study demonstrates the rising cost of data breaches and increasing number of incidents. According to the Computer Security Institute and the FBI, in 2006, the average cost of each unauthorized access incident of was $85,000. And each hour of system downtime costs companies tens of thousands of dollars. Furthermore, those numbers don’t take into account damage to reputation, brand, or any costs of regulatory or legal action.

As the deluge of data accelerates, so in turn does the market opportunity for today’s emerging and established IT security providers. Against this backdrop, IT security vendors face many unique challenges in the quest to differentiate themselves within the crowded and rapidly consolidating market and ultimately emerge as leading players. Superior product functionality is only one element in an equation that also factors interoperability, non-intrusiveness, ease of use, industry standards and strategic partnerships among the key components for success. Therein lies the public relations challenge – one that we have doggedly pursued and successfully overcome for clients across the security landscape.