Security market still strong

Companies are spending more of their IT budgets on security, according to a study by research firm IDC.

European firms are turning to security audits to identify gaps in their IT security, because of a fear of security breaches and regulatory requirements.

IDC said the increased levels of security spending are justified, as one in four companies it interviewed claimed their return on investment for security spending turned out to be "significantly higher" than anticipated.

Antivirus and firewall software, and hardware-based firewall appliances are the top three technologies currently deployed by European companies.

Gary Haycock-West, managing director of security reseller Blue Cube, said customers are still managing to find the budget for security, even if they have to take it from other areas.

"We've just had the best two months we've ever had since we've been in business. We've just closed on a raft of very big deals," he said.

He added: "I think the IT security market is bucking the trend. When we talk to clients they are being more cautious but they are still spending."

Haycock-West said security spending is "a necessary evil", and that it was hard for companies to ignore security holes.

Just under one in five European companies plan to buy public key infrastructure technology in the next three years, and 14 per cent will invest in single sign-on technologies, according to IDC.

In a statement Thomas Raschke, IDC's security products and strategies programme manager, said: "Security is evolving not only from being a necessary expense to protect organisations against threats but into a true business enabler in times of increasing collaborative commerce and supply chain integration."