Mobile security spending to reach USD 9 bln in 2013

According to the SNS Research report, mobile networks around the globe generate more than 50 Exabytes of traffic annually. The volume of traffic together with the growing adoption of open source Operating System (OS) platforms such as Android has opened up new security threats. Mobile malware, SMS spam, cyber-attacks and unlawful eavesdropping are an ever-increasing problem for enterprises, consumers and mobile network operators around the globe. This has in turn led to significant investments in integrated security appliances and content security gateways by both enterprises and mobile network operators, besides opening doors for emerging submarkets such as mobile Security as a Service (SEaaS).

The same source points out that on the devices front, installation of anti-malware/anti-virus client software is fast becoming a de-facto requirement for most smartphones and tablets. Furthermore, mobile device OEMs are also integrating advanced biometrics such as fingerprint sensing into their smartphones and tablets, amid growing popularity of security sensitive opportunities such as mobile payments.

Driven by the thriving ecosystem, SNS Research estimates that mobile device and network security investments will account for almost USD 9 billion in 2013 alone. The market is further expected to grow at a CAGR of almost 21% over the next 7 years.

The report is aimed at current and future potential investors into the mobile security sector, as well as wireless carriers, enterprises, MDM/mobile security service providers and infrastructure/device/software vendors who wish to broaden their knowledge of the ecosystem.