Anti-virus market in India is witnessing constant growth and this will be further fueled by the growing smartphone, tablets, hand held devices and the growth of Internet of Things as well.
As far as the emerging trends are concerned, online activities by individual users and proliferation of BYOD devices at corporate networks will increase the security risk and will further drive the security market.
Indian Market Scenario
According to Sunil Kripalani, Senior-VP, Global Sales & Marketing at eScan, the growing trends of mobile computing, big data, virtualization, cloud services and social networking continue to be the emerging IT trends of 2016. “The biggest driver of growth will be in the mobility space. Hence, we are already have our Mobile & Tablet Security software for Android and Mobile Security for iPhones & iPads. We are already receiving great feedback and further user needs from the industry and end-users,” he adds on.
Kailash Katkar, MD and CEO, Quick Heal Technologies says that, “we have observed that the mobile security awareness is gradually increasing and this is an interesting opportunity for us. We have quite a few products for the mobile segment. Our first Android security suite was introduced few years ago and is now a freemium model. We have recently introduced a premium product that combines security and insurance. There are other OS introductions that are going to happen in the future. We are poised to keep up with the action effectively and analyse strategies on the fly if required. But we certainly see a significant contribution and growth in the coming years,” he adds on.
Zakir Hussain, Head of ESS Distribution, official distributor of ESET products in India says that at ESS Distribution we see great potential for smartphone and tablet security software sales to boom in nearest future. The number of these devices is growing rapidly in India, some industry reports project the number of smartphones to grow over 650 millions by 2020.
“In past two years we have also seen a great change in users’ attitude towards mobile security. If in 2012 users hardly cared about securing their devices and only few users would install security applications, today the scenario is different. Users are not only aware about security software, they have certain demands and expectation from this software. Security vendors did a good job promoting importance of mobile security over the years but at the same time users themselves started realizing this fact since more and more devices are being compromised by malware and more and more people are becoming victims of cybercriminals’ attacks. Mobile malware can allow cybercriminals intercept messages, monitor calls, steal personal information, including photoes, videos or netbanking passwords and credit card details which is definitely something to worry about,” he explains.
Today’s Concerns and Challenges
Sunil Kripalani, Senior-VP, Global Sales & Marketing at eScan says that the major concern areas are slow adoption rate of security products in
the mobility sector, due to low or lack of awareness, among individual users. Whereas at the enterprise and corporate levels, the adoption is increasing due to BYOD and more hand held devices logging in to the network from unsecured Wi-Fi networks etc. However, in the enterprise and corporate segments too there are few apprehensions about making quick decisions.
“At eScan, we are constantly educating and engaging our users, customers and partners to increase the usage of multi-prolonged approach for networks and individuals. We also encourage users with free trial offers of our mobility products to increase user experience,” he explains.
Kailash Katkar, MD and CEO, Quick Heal Technologies says that from email communication, banking, social networking, games, music and video, smart mobile devices have created a radical shift in the way companies and business organizations service their customers. There are also a lot of task-specific or third party applications that are easy to buy, install and provide ready access to information, utilities and services. Businesses and consumers are gradually realizing the importance of security for their mobile devices. People not only look at their mobile devices as significant investments, these devices contain a lot of personal data. The loss or theft of these devices and increase in mobile malware attacks has emphasized the need for security in these devices.
“Security risks could range from simple rogue text messages to malicious attacks using malware. And with less awareness about mobile
threats, people seem more inclined to fall prey to such attacks. The lack of security on these devices is also a major cause for concern. The more personal information that is stored in the mobile device whether it is data entered or information that can be used by an application the more at risk the user is for loss of money and even identity theft. While mobile banking does offer an immediate “always-on communication” the safety of this channel depends a lot on the user awareness and the financial organization’s safety precautions. If the device is not secure then there are chances that sensitive information such as credit card details, banking ids and passwords, etc. can be stolen through mobile malware or the device can be rendered useless in which case if the user hasn’t saved the passwords safely then there are chances of losing it completely,” he adds on.
Talking about the challenges, Kailash Katkar, MD and CEO, Quick Heal Technologies says that the nature of some software products and the framework in which product creation is carried out often influence the complexity and challenges. Keeping up with the enhancements in technology in products and solutions, the associated high costs of maintaining and servicing a product over its lifetime impact creation and management. Piracy or copying key features is easy while providing adequate protection of intellectual property rights is difficult. Marketing software products in international markets at times requires localisation of the product itself as well as the marketing mix. Also, there is a dearth of talent for software product companies.
“We believe in blending innovation and simplicity into every aspect of our product and corporate cycle, whether it is research and development for future versions or it is about reaching out to our customers for technical support or it is about disseminating information to our partners for training or for sales, we come-up with ways to do it better and in an uncomplicated manner. Our products are now being localized to meet the requirements of a specific geography, for example we have Japanese, Italian, Polish and Arabic versions of our products. We are also tying up with Universities to provide courses that would empower the youth with skills required to work in software product companies,” he adds on.
Zakir Hussain, Head of ESS Distribution, official distributor of ESET products in India elaborates that there are several obstacles for this segment to become bigger. First of all, the users’ awareness about importance of security software and cyber threats in general that is definitely improving but not at a great pace. Second is the unwillingness of users to pay for mobile security. Just the same as it was with antivirus and PC security software once, manufacturers of paid mobiles security solutions are competing with free available applications.
“As we have learned in the past, the experience that users have with security products eventually leads to the choice. People are ready to pay for solid, reliable and user friendly security solutions that can provide quality protection from malware as well as the minimum impact on device’ performance. These are the kind of mobile security solutions we offer, both in consumer and enterprise segments. For example, ESET Mobile Security for Android offers antivirus protection and variable depth scanning, from quick or smart or deep scanning to scheduled and background scanning features that allow maintaining good performance without compromising on security. Its Anti-Phishing module protects against phishing attacks and web-based attacks via malicious SMS messages, QR codes, or URL links. Security Audit feature helps monitor installed app permissions such as location tracking, access to contacts, or in-app purchases to close any security loopholes. Proactive Anti-Theft feature detects behavior that is out of the ordinary, it locks the device and takes camera snapshots. User can then access them via my.eset.com. If user finds his or her device is missing, it then can be located and tracked on a map.
The free version of the application provides basic protection including full device scan, scan of downloaded applications items and basic Anti-Theft functionalities. While the basic mobile protection is free for a lifetime, it’s up to users to decide if they want to subscribe and benefit from Premium features. All Premium features are unlocked after activating of 30-day trial or buying the license. In the premium version users will find Scheduled scanning, On-Charger scan, advanced Proactive Anti-Theft functionalities, including my.eset.com integration, SMS&Call filter and Security Audit,” he adds on.
Go To Market
Talking about the go to market strategy, Kailash Katkar, MD and CEO, Quick Heal Technologies says that, “we are currently focusing on the target markets i.e. India and other developing countries. Consolidations are going to take time because peripheral services like that of ours are driven by the growth-movement of core services. There are other OS introductions waiting to happen in future that would further affect the macro which is the critical part. So being able to keep up with the action effectively and analysing strategies on the fly would be more like it,” he adds on.
Speaking about the go to market strategy, Sunil Kripalani, Senior-VP, Global Sales & Marketing at eScan says that BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) Policy has forced IT heads to seriously look into Smartphone/ Tablet users in Organization Network against all possible data thefts, identity breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive records. Not only Corporates, but SMBs are also concerned about network security and prevention from any malware attack.
“Even Home Users in a Smart City are also concerned about all kinds of privacy breaches that can happen through their personal phones or other devices. Since all personal data including sensitive details like banking or financial information are stored in a phone, thus giving robust protection to those data is very important. In order to mitigate the new emerging threats specifically targeting BYOD users, eScan has now come up with security solutions for Mobiles and Tablets (both Android & iOS) in order to answer the needs and provide security to this sector. Our strategy for these products also includes education, engagement and user experience to win our customers,” he explains.
“We are exploring and open to such partnerships. Globally we have few successful ties ups with device manufacturers. We have both complete or stand alone modules available for OEM bundling,” he is quick to add on.
Speaking about the go to market strategy in India, Zakir Hussain, Head of ESS Distribution, official distributor of ESET products in India said that for all the security products that ESS Distribution offers in Indian market we have dedicated channel partners in all regions of the country.
“ESS Distribution has appointed distributors for retail offerings and system integrators and VAR’s for business and enterprise solutions. In general, the company divides India into four major regions – North, East, West & South appointing at least one major T1 partner followed by multiple T2 & T3 partners. Since we offer mobile security solutions in both consumer and enterprise segment we provide training and product presentations to our channel partners across the country, provide them with sales and technical support whenever required. It is especially important in case of SIs and VARs working with enterprise clients for whom we offer ESET Endpoint Security for Android. WE consider it vital for our business growth to educate our channel partners on latest security solutions and the technologies in their core.
In user segment we focus not only on partners’ training but on creating end-user awareness through online promotions, various social media campaigns, on-ground activities, through participating in educational events, conferences, also through partnering with young IT entrepreneurs,” he added.
Growth Opportunities
Talking about growth opportunities, Sunil Kripalani, Senior-VP, Global Sales & Marketing at eScan says that Mobility, Smart cities and IoT are the next growth opportunities. “Though slow adaptation and lack of adequate technological awareness are still some of the hindrances which IT security market is facing, yet ‘Digital India’ campaign and ‘Smart City’ developments are accelerating the growth opportunities. Our R&D team is already working on the challenges expected from these places.” He adds on.
Speaking about the challenges, Sunil Kripalani, Senior-VP, Global Sales & Marketing at eScan says that some of the challenges that we are facing today are –
Privacy Concerns: Organizations and individual users always look for privacy of their data and details incorporated in their smart devices. Any kind of compromise to those records can result in multiple online hazards.]
Low Awareness: Lack of awareness is one of the biggest challenges we are facing in the IT security market. Many users are still not aware of the possible identity thefts that might happen without their knowledge. Proper IT Security alertness can keep them digitally secured.
Data breaches: Data breach is another big threat that organizations face mainly due to BYOD policy and other easily accessible networks. In order to restrain this, the employees and IT administrators need to have a proper Security system installed in the network.
Online frauds: Online crooks are always ready with their evil intensions to hack personal, financial and other sensitive details from vulnerable networks. The victim can be any individual user or even a corporate organization.
“Moreover, though the rate of piracy is being dissolved gradually, yet it still poses as a serious issue. If our customer unknowingly gets the pirated version of the software and faces any issues while using it, then we are losing a genuine customer. In addition, customers cannot fall back for any support services from such free or low cost products. With continuous advancements in the IT landscape, the need to protect networks and all related digital devices from evolving cyber security threats has led to an increase in the demand of IT security software. In the year 2015-2016, eScan expects an escalated growth curve in the IT security industry.” He explains.
Kailash Katkar, MD and CEO, Quick Heal Technologies explains that, as the increasing demand of smart devices such as smartphones, laptops, tablets, and personal digital assistants which are commonly used for both personal and business purpose showcase tremendous opportunity for us.
“The global mobile security market is segmented into authentication, mobile application management and mobile data protection. The mobile application management is more likely to increase as developers come up with more and more applications. The increasing dependence on applications, the frequency and length of usage of these applications would be one of the prime reasons for creating application security solutions. BYOD and VPN also drive the growth in mobile security. The enterprises allowing their employees to bring their personal mobile devices face security challenges in protecting corporate data without affecting the personal data of employees. Employee access to corporate network and data is another reason why customized applications are going to gain momentum. Minimizing the malware, data loss and other security breach effects is another reason why a robust mobile security solution should be in place. As mentioned earlier, we have quite a few products for the consumer segment and also a recent launch that combines insurance and security. We also have a Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution in place for the Enterprise clients and are in the process of designing specific mobile applications for target industries.” He elaborates.
Zakir Hussain, Head of ESS Distribution, official distributor of ESET products in India is quick to elaborate that, “we expect the user segment to grow tremendously in next two years. Currently we provide users in India with 30-day trial for ESET Mobile Security for Android. We believe after having experience with this security solution for Android devices users will be able to make the right choices. We also see a future in corporate segment. The rise in acceptance of Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD) devices among enterprises, evolving network connectivity in India eventually leads to greater amount of sensitive data being exchanged through smartphones and tablets. Companies of all sized will face the need of implementing security solutions to safeguard their sensitive data and prevent breach of privacy, and we are happy that we have the right solutions ready for them. For example, ESET Endpoint Security for Android that we offer for business users can not only scans all applications, files and memory cards for malware, it can protect the physical devices of employees and can lock these devices remotely or wipe the data in case they are lost or stolen. The important feature of this security solution for business is that system administrators can push security policies to all devices to ensure compliance. They can oversee the company’s mobile IT security effortlessly with single and very user-friendly ESET Remote Administrator web-console which becomes a great solution for BOYD issue that all businesses, from small to large, are facing currently.” He adds on.
Innovations Galore
Sunil Kripalani, Senior-VP, Global Sales & Marketing at eScan elaborates that currently eScan is chalking out the future plans with the following perspectives:
Fortifying Smart Cities: We are focusing on the concerns related to Privacy, Network/ Data Security and detection/ prevention of inconsistencies to ensure 24×7 availability of all kinds of digital services that make smart cities. Proper security to this digital world can ensure an ideal smart city for next generation. Providing Free Anti-Virus to Mobile Security for Android and iOS users are also on the cards. We are creating several attractive schemes for the dealers and resellers too.
ICT (Information and Computing Technologies) & IoT (Internet of Things): ICT (Information and Computing Technologies) and IoT
(Internet of Things) are an integral part of Smart Cities and we have extended the security umbrella to IoT with Security Intelligence Analytics and ensure Network/ Data integrity round the clock.
As innovation is quite important for the growth of the organization, Kailash Katkar, MD and CEO, Quick Heal Technologies says that, “We have recently launched Fonetastic which is a fun app targeted at the youth. It is a combination of multiple apps. People use apps to clean up disk space or another app to control their network usage so Fonetastic does all that and provides powerful security as well. We are also in the process of providing Safe Banking feature to the mobile apps so that people are able to carry out financial transactions without worrying about loss of sensitive data,” he elaborates.
Emphasizing on the need for innovation, Zakir Hussain, Head of ESS Distribution, official distributor of ESET products in India says that by promoting ESET Mobile Security in India, ESS Distribution offers Indian users not just another mobile security software but definitely something bigger.
“The newest version of ESET Mobile Security arms Android users with set of strong security features including proactive Anti-Theft that can track lost or stolen mobile devices through an easy-to-use web interface. The new functionality offered for Premium users sends the last location of the device when the battery hits critical level, takes snapshots from front and back camera when the wrong PIN/pattern is entered or an unauthorized SIM change is detected. This is very advanced and comprehensive security solution for Android device that is much beyond general anti-malware solution. So far we have received a feedback from our channel partners using this product on their mobiles phones and the users all over India who emphasize the importance of quick, efficient and easy device location and tracking feature,” he adds on.