The growing threat posed by worms, viruses and denial-of-service attacks is fuelling a global sales bonanza in network intrusion prevention system (IPS) products, according to In-Stat/MDR.

As a result, the combined market for IPS and intrusion detection system equipment is poised to reach $1.4bn by 2008, up from $541m in 2003, the research firm said. Most of the revenue growth is expected to be through hardware-based network IPS appliances.

"IPS is a proactive technology that can block attacks before they reach the intended target," said In-Stat/MDR analyst Victoria Fodale.

"Besides protecting the network from undesired access, next-generation IPS products also safeguard the network from malicious content and the inappropriate traffic rates that precede worm or denial-of-service attacks."

In-Stat/MDR's research found that 80 per cent of organisations now use IPS products inline with blocking protection. A fifth of IPS products are deployed at critical segments within the network.

The analyst firm noted that the top three factors that influence purchasing decisions are increased functionality, business liability and improved network performance.