Neither Network Associates nor Symantec is standing still, however. In the past year, Network Associates sold off all business units not associated with security, such as its Sniffer network-management and -performance unit. It also acquired Entercept and IntruVert Networks to provide intrusion prevention for desktops and networks, and soon it will change its name to McAfee, its unit well-known for antivirus and desktop-utility software.
Symantec in the past few years has made increased headway selling its largely acquired mix of interoperable security software, firewalls, intrusion-detection systems, and security-management software to large companies.
As Microsoft bolsters the security of its operating system, it will take small-business and consumer sales away from conventional desktop-security vendors, says John Pescatore, a research VP at Gartner. "The behavior-based protection will block many worm-type threats, making it less imperative for consumers to renew their antivirus subscriptions," he says.
Andrew Bagrin, director of business-technology applications at Regal Cinemas Inc., which operates 550 movie theaters in 36 states, says consumers may quickly move to Microsoft's security technology, but that's not something companies will do.
"We're spending a lot of time protecting [Microsoft's] applications. I don't think companies are ready to put Microsoft software in place to protect Microsoft software," Bagrin says. Symantec and Network Associates have been working in security for a long time, he says, and they'll continue to innovate and survive.
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
