Security at home: An underserved, unappreciated market |
 |
By Alison Diana
27 Oct 2006 | SearchSecurityChannel.com |
|
|
One area in which VARs can make a big difference is in providing security to home network adopters. Users often are unconcerned — or, if they do care, do not care enough — to expend money or time on securing their home network, said Mark Hurwitz, owner of HED, a Manhattan-based solutions provider specializing in home automation systems for the high-end residential space.
"People are, for the most part, unconcerned about security," he said, adding that users are often more concerned with slower performance than ensuring the safety of their network.
But this could be a dangerous mistake. The Internet Security Threat Report, released in September by security developer Symantec Corp., found that home users accounted for 86% of all targeted attacks, followed by financial services businesses.
The Cupertino developer has identified increased attacks aimed at client-side applications, increased use of evasive tactics to avoid detection, and that large, widespread Internet worms have given way to smaller, more targeted attacks focusing on fraud, data theft and criminal activity.
Developers — such as Symantec Corp. and McAfee, Inc. — continue to develop solutions designed to protect desktops and home networks from the growing onslaught of phishing, viruses, denial of service attacks and other vulnerabilities. Symantec, for example, in October released Norton Confidential for Macintosh, shortly after it began shipping Norton AntiVirus 2007 and Norton Internet Security 2007.
"Attackers see end users as the weakest link in the security chain and are constantly targeting them in an effort to profit," said Arthur Wong, senior vice president of Symantec Security Response and Managed Services, in a report.
The VAR Home Networking Market:
Home networking is next major frontier for VARs
Selling home storage that has nothing to do with closets
Home network market worth billions
Security rises in consumer budgets
Hardware sales and traditional home tech sales still work
|
|
|
|
