World Vulnerability Research Markets: Industry Report

World Vulnerability Research Markets

Product Type: Market Research Report
Published by: Frost & Sullivan
Published: April 2008
Product Code: R1-6381

Description

This Frost & Sullivan research service titled 2007 World Vulnerability Research Markets examines the entire vulnerability research market including government, educational, corporate, and individual contributors, providing in-depth analysis and insightful perspectives.

This analysis is available through our Network Security Growth Partnership Service program. With this program, clients receive industry-leading market research such as this, along with technical and econometric data and many interactive features including Analyst Inquiry Time and Client Council.

Growing Complexity of Security Threats Necessitate Vulnerability Research

Network and communication technology is the backbone of business all over the world and yet the value of such systems is largely unrealized until they come under attack. Past attacks have shown that the consequences for inadequate protection can be dire. The disruption of these systems has inflicted billions of dollars in lost revenues over the years. These attacks, which were originally carried out as a show of skill, are now calculated attacks by complex criminal organizations. Consequently, there is now a very real demand for the security vulnerabilities that these attacks are based upon. Security companies and researchers that disclose this information to the appropriate software vendor are the first line of defense against cyber terrorists and attacks.

Since Frost & Sullivan has been tracking this market, the number of disclosed vulnerabilities has steadily increased. The number of reported vulnerabilities increased 24 percent from 2006 to 2007 and this number is expected to continue increasing. The percent of vulnerabilities disclosed by software vendors has dropped slightly from 2006 (8 percent), and is still a nominal portion of total disclosures "The low percentage of self-disclosures may be indicative of the fact that software vendors are not testing their products adequately or are likely to develop a patch, but not publicly disclose the vulnerability," notes the analyst of this research service. "This is a dangerous practice as malicious researchers are able to reverse engineer a patch to derive the nature of the vulnerability and know about the vulnerability before systems administrators do."

Windows Remains a Prime Target

Of the operating systems, Windows was affected by half of the vulnerabilities disclosed (50 percent). Windows still boasts the most prevalent operating systems (over 90 percent of desktops and 35 percent of servers) and is the premier target for hackers. However, the percentage of third party/hardware vulnerabilities increased from 2006. With regard to Mac OS X, most vendors, with the exception of VeriSign, disclosed only a negligible number of Mac OS X vulnerabilities. Mac OS X is perceived as having a higher level of security than other operating systems, but also enjoys a small market share. Hence, it is not a lucrative target for hackers. Furthermore, Mac OS X appears to be gaining some of its vulnerabilities from the UNIX-based kernel.

Overall, TippingPoint and VeriSign, which have contributor compensation programs, reported 44 percent of all vulnerabilities reported by vendors. Almost half (47 percent) of vulnerability disclosures by vendors are coming from vendors without contribution programs. "While TippingPoint and Secunia demonstrated healthy growth in 2007, VeriSign showed the strongest growth," says the analyst.

Table of Contents

1. Strategic Analysis of the World Vulnerability Research Market: 1. Executive Summary; 2. Methodology; 3. Terminology; 4. Research Objectives; 5. Compensation Program Notes; 6. Total Vulnerability Research Market Analysis; 7. Operating System Vulnerability Analysis; 8. Microsoft Windows Vulnerability Analysis; 9. Mac OS X Vulnerability Analysis; 10. UNIX/Linux Vulnerability Analysis; 11. Browser Vulnerability Analysis; 12. Top Vendor Profiles; 13. Appendix
List of Charts: Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2004-2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2006-2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities, Present & Previous Year Compared (World), 2006-2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Third Party vs. Self Disclosed (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reporting Institutions (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World) Q-4, 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Change in Reported Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2006-2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Severity of Total Reported Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Low Severity Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Vulnerabilities by Affected Operating System (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Vulnerabilities by Affected Operating System (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Vulnerabilities Compared with Total Market Share (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Severity, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Severity of Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Vendor, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Windows Vulnerabilities by Vendor, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Windows Vulnerabilities by Vendor, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Windows Vulnerabilities by Quarter, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Windows Vulnerabilities by Quarter, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Windows Vulnerabilities by Quarter, (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2006 - 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Severity of Reported Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Mac OS X Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2006 - 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percent of Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Severity of Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported High Severity Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Medium Severity Unix/Linux Vulnerabilities by Quarter (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Vulnerabilities by Browser (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Total Reported Browser Vulnerabilities Compared with Total Market Share (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Browser Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Browser Vulnerabilities by Severity (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Percentage of Reported Vulnerabilities by Browser (World), 2007; Total Vulnerability Research Market: Reported Microsoft Internet Explorer Vulnerabilities by Vendor (World), 2007

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