IT Security is Complicated. Bears do what in the Woods?

Apparently research recently undertaken by Ipsos MORI on behalf of security vendor McAfee across 600 European countries has revealed that many are struggling with complicated IT security arrangements. I guess it also revealed what bears get up to in the woods and the religious persuasion of the Pope as well.

77% said they wanted a single view of their security infrastructure and nearly a third use four or more management consoles. 22% of the enterprises questioned said they had seven or more solutions. 23% said they were happy with their security implementations.

Let’s face it, the IT security industry is pretty immature and there is a stack more consolidation that will happen over the next few years as point solutions start to get integrated into more comprehensive suites of products and single console solutions. There is some very cool technology out there, much of it in very small businesses run by a techie and a salesman. Over time they will get acquired by the big boys or run out of funding which is all part and parcel of the security ecosystem. Without this volume of innovation we would all be a lot poorer.

In the mean time we will have to put up with the complexity of running multiple solutions to address our requirements with the added cost that brings. And hope that the business community bears with us. Pun intended.