News Feature | November 6, 2015

Study: IT Security Experts Prefer Integrated, Cloud-Delivered Security

Christine Kern

By Christine Kern, contributing writer

IT Security Experts Prefer Integrated, Cloud-Delivered Security

According to a study from Internet security company Zscaler, security professionals believe security should be delivered as a platform and cloud-based security offers better protection at a lower cost than traditional on-premises solutions.

The Necessity Of Cloud-Delivered Integrated Security Platforms, a 2015 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting, found that 98 percent prefer integrated, cloud-delivered security.

The in-depth survey of 130 U.S. IT security or strategy decision-makers at firms with at least $250 million in annual revenue also found that 82 percent are seeking advanced security capabilities they can launch within the year. Respondents also indicated strong preferences for crowd-sourcing and machine learning, which require Big Data captured by cloud-based security platforms to be effective.

The study also found that respondents listed complexity, cost reduction, and improved security as significant benefits of cloud-based security-as-a-service (SaaS). As businesses consider Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, Zscaler points out cloud-based security will be the go-to approach when solutions comprised of cloud computing, mobility, and IoT devices are deployed.

To download a copy of the study and watch Forrester analyst Martin Whitworth discuss the study and its implications, click here.