Network security has topped the enterprise IT priority list ever since networked computers hit the mainstream, and for good reason. According to PricewaterhouseCoopers, the average loss in brand value alone for companies experiencing data breaches ranges from $184 million to more than $330 million.
As companies continue to stockpile larger and larger amounts of personal information—and rely on technology to secure it—data breaches will become ever more commonplace and damaging to those companies that don't adopt airtight security practices. Growth in the security software market supports this hypothesis: Gartner estimates that security software revenue grew 7.5 percent last year to a whopping $17.7 billion.