Cyber security companies / IT security companies / startups
Norbert Pohlmann (Institute for Internet Security)
The market leaders in the field of mass products, such as anti-malware, authentication solutions, firewalls, etc. in the field of cyber security come from the USA. The German cyber security industry is highly fragmented, but offers higher quality cyber security solutions such as encryption, PKIs, proactive cyber security systems (Trusted Computing, …), hardware security modules.
In the area of cyber security capacity in the form of cyber security experts in higher education, research and industry, Germany is at the top and has the ideal prerequisites to position itself more successfully in the area of cyber security.
Technological trends in the area of cyber security / IT security
Already today, sophisticated cyber security solutions and increasingly professional attackers face each other. With regard to the future, we will need more cyber security and the question arises as to which innovations are necessary, more effective cyber security solutions are needed to reduce the existing risks so that digitization can be implemented in a sustainable, secure and trustworthy manner. The following paradigm shifts are emerging and are particularly lucrative for startups:
Paradigm shift „cloud service versus local IT„
A full cloudification, in contrast to the partial use of cloud services today, will prevail. The Corona crisis gave this development a special boost.
It is not a question of „whether in the cloud“, but only „when“ and in this process, cyber security solutions for the cloud play an important role for use, especially in Germany and Europe. The comparatively mediocre IT security level of today will become significantly higher in order to adequately protect the values of the company, the data.
Paradigm shift „proactive versus reactive cyber security solutions„
With today’s reactive cyber security systems, such as anti-spam, anti-malware and intrusion detection systems, we run after the IT attacks. This means that when cyber security solutions detect an attack through an appropriate attack signature or an anomaly, they try to protect us as soon as possible to reduce the damage. However, the increasing diversity and complexity of our IT systems and IT infrastructures need significantly more reliable, robust and effective cyber security concepts. We need to move away from only reactive towards modern proactive cyber security systems that can prevent the execution of intelligent malware, one of the biggest problems at the moment. Such proactive cyber security systems work with a small security core (secure operating systems, trusted computing base) and virtualization, can make software measurable and, with strong isolation, separate applications with their data and thus offer sustainable and appropriate cyber security.
Paradigm shift „decentralized versus central cyber security“
Instead of complex central cyber security solutions such as PKIs, decentralized cyber security solutions are becoming increasingly important for automated, trustworthy collaboration between different companies. Blockchain technology provides “programmed trust” because all IT security properties are inherently integrated as security-by-design in blockchain technology. Blockchain technology creates a basis for distributed and trustworthy collaboration and has great potential for new business models and ecosystems. Blockchain technology is also an ideal field for startups.
Paradigm shift „object security versus perimeter security“
Perimeter security should e.g. Using firewall and VPN systems (IPSec encryption and Transport Layer Security (TLS) / Secure Socket Layer (SSL)) prevent strangers from the Internet from accessing your own company network and prevent the exchanged data from being read by others and can be manipulated. However, as more and more mobile devices use alternative communication channels, such as mobile networks and hotspots, to go past the central corporate firewall into the Internet, perimeter security is becoming less effective and less important. In object security and information flow control, the objects are assigned rights that define who can use them in which IT environment and how. The objects are thereby reliably secured over their entire life cycle.
Paradigm shift „data-driven versus event-driven security“
Today we mainly try to identify attacks via identifiable events. In the future, we will use artificial intelligence to extract security-relevant information from an increasing number of existing data that will help to ensure more cyber security. Data science with technologies of machine learning and artificial intelligence promises innovations in the detection of attacks, among many other important aspects such as authentication or threat intelligence in the area of cyber security.
Economic relevance of the cyber security industry
IT and the Internet are among the key components of our modern society and data is increasingly the capital of companies. Modern, secure and trustworthy cyber security solutions must ensure reliable and sustainable use. For this reason, the cyber security industry is becoming increasingly economically relevant. This makes the cyber security industry particularly attractive for founders and startups.
At p-venture we help you to found and build a successful cyber security company.
See also:
Cyber security industry as a very good market for founders and startups
Cyber security market, IT security market for founders and startups