“The only truly secure system is one that is powered off, cast in a block of concrete and sealed in a lead-lined room with armed guards.”
– Gene Spafford, Purdue University
Until the day comes when someone develops an unbreachable security system, Data Security will continue to be a top tech trend. Major data breaches continue to harm consumers, governments and enterprises, driving Data Security to be one of the hottest trends in tech M&A. Today’s big security firms can’t keep up with the pace of innovation, but they can fill product gaps and acquire innovative teams.
We see companies in predictive threat intelligence, multi-factor authentication, and highly secured cloud platforms for short-term sharing of data as particularly attractive targets. Further, by 2020 there will be an estimated 80 billion connected IoT devices generating huge volumes of data that will need to be analyzed to protect these devices and their networks. Expect more major breaches and significant new vulnerabilities uncovered this year.
Large security companies will continue to be highly acquisitive, including Symantec, which reenergized its security product strategy by selling its Veritas division last year while acquiring Blue Coat for $4.7B and Lifelock for $2.3B. With big moves like this, security buyers are all looking for tuck-ins to fill gaps, too.
As each of our Top 10 Disruptive Tech Trends continues to expand and create new channels through which data can be exchanged, Data Security remains a top priority for companies looking to stay ahead of the curve. Those that have found a way to combine multiple trends into one cohesive offering will be best positioned to take advantage of today’s M&A market.