Across the globe, network security is a growing concern among businesses.  The demand for network security services is higher than ever, and the growth potential is astronomical.  Internet Week magazine stated in 1999 that the sum spent by corporate America on computer network security is expected to increase 20% annually as companies entrust more of their sensitive documents to network systems.  The federal government is also re-dedicated to increasing their information security budget due to well-publicized security breaches that have shown that carelessness can lead to disastrous losses.
Within the United States, spending growth for information technology is expected to jump from $500 billion (1996) to $2.5 trillion by 2010.  Compound growth rates are expected to be 50 to 65 % for the services sector and 45% for the products sector over the next several years.  While many businesses have carved out room for network security in their budgets, some 66% of businesses do not allocate sufficient funds towards securing their networks.  However, experts predict that as these reluctant businesses realize the grave error they are making, an even greater surge of demand that the present network security providers cannot satisfy will emerge.  99% of firms had some type of security training in the last year, showing an increase in information security awareness.  These statistics explicitly detail the fact that the need for network security is firmly entrenched in today's business world.