Gabriel Nielsen

Technavio analysts forecast the global antivirus software package market to grow at a CAGR of close to 10% during the forecast period, according to their latest report.

The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global antivirus software package market for 2016-2020. The report also segments the market based on end-users into home users and corporate users, with corporate users accounting for over 60% of the market share in 2015.

According to Ishmeet Kaur, a lead analyst at Technavio for enterprise application research, “Antivirus software packages are expected to gain maximum traction in APAC during the forecast period as enterprises in this region are highly dependent on the Internet and wireless technologies, which are more vulnerable to data theft and cyber-attacks.”

Technavio ICT analysts highlight the following three factors that are contributing to the growth of the global antivirus software package market:

• Increase in cybercrime
• Rise in number of online transactions
• Growing dependence on Internet

Increase in cybercrime

Cybercrimes include malware, hacking and denial of service (DoS) attacks, computer viruses, fraud, identity theft, harassment and threats, and phishing scams. With cyber-attacks becoming more complex and sophisticated, the demand for antivirus software is growing. Mobile devices are becoming the most preferred devices for web browsing, e-mailing, making online purchases, accessing social media, and downloading apps. Therefore, they have become potential targets for cyber-attacks as they are increasingly being used to perform personal and business tasks by enterprises and individuals.

The increase in the number of cyber-attacks has raised awareness and fear among organizations with respect to the different security risks. For instance, in 2015, enterprises in the US alone, faced an annual loss of more than USD 525 million due to cybercrime. Most of the losses were due to malicious code and DoS attacks. This is compelling organizations to adopt antivirus software packages.

Rise in number of online transactions

Online transactions are gaining prominence among individual consumers because they are very easy, quick, and convenient. However, these banking and e-commerce transactions are most vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, vendors in the market are providing advanced features in their antivirus software packages to make online transactions secure and prevent fraudulent activities.

The availability of multiple online shopping websites, attractive offers, and a variety of choices are factors that are encouraging users to shop online. Users are increasingly using the Internet for financial transactions because they are quick and convenient.

“Security threats such as identity theft and phishing are on the rise due to an increase in the number of online transactions. Thus, the need for antivirus software packages is increasing with the rise in online transactions,” says Ishmeet.

Growing dependence on Internet

The worldwide use of Internet is growing at an exponential rate, with the number on internet users exceeding 3 billion in 2015, which was more than six times the number of Internet users in 2000. This is due to the spread of education and developments in technology ensuring better connectivity.

The Internet has penetrated the lives of individuals from all walks of life. People are increasingly using the internet for everyday activities and to stay connected because of which they end up posting a lot of personal information on the Internet. The increased dependence on web applications has made people vulnerable to identity theft. Cases such as phishing and data theft are on the rise, and new forms of attacks are emerging. Therefore, it has become essential for end-users to adopt antivirus software packages to protect critical information from security threats.