Independent Research Firm Ranks Verizon as a Leader in Managed Security Services Report

Verizon was named a leader in managed security services in "The Forrester Wave™ : Managed Security Services: North America, Q1 2012" report published this month.

Forrester identified Verizon as a leader for the extent and depth of its security services.   The report also took into account Verizon's variety of delivery models (cloud, on-premises), robust portfolio of capabilities and company investments in the security space.

In total, Forrester's evaluated nine providers against a set of 60 criteria points.  After measuring Verizon against these criteria, Forrester stated:

"Verizon is a top telecommunications provider with a very large North American presence, with more than 2,000 unique clients in the region. Verizon emphasizes the business value and cost-controlling aspects that it delivers through managed security services and helps clients allocate resources to the most critical assets through its enhanced risk-based correlation engine. Verizon employs one of the largest security teams in the market with an aggressive recruiting strategy. Companies searching for a full host of services with a focus on cost should strongly consider Verizon."

As more chief information security officers seek trusted managed security solutions providers to address operational challenges, Forrester predicts the managed security provider marketplace will grow at a rapid pace -- between 30 and 40 percent per year.  This market growth is in large part due to the fact that chief information security officers increasingly trust managed security service providers to act as strategic partners and advise them on top security decisions.

In addition, managed security providers such as Verizon are recognized by Forrester as providing better resources, scalability and talent, with more attractive economics. In fact, 62 percent of chief information security officers looking to security services cite cost reduction as a top factor.

Another market driver and important criteria evaluated by Forrester is the ability of managed security providers to deliver advanced technologies, such as threat intelligence and correlation. Forrester revealed that the rapidly changing threat landscape and advanced persistent threats are now the norm, and chief information security officers require solutions capable of detecting suspicious activity and need to receive alerts in near real time.

Bart Vansevenant, executive director, Verizon global security solutions, said, "The ever-changing cyber landscape calls for managed security solution providers to become strategic partners in advising and helping chief information security officers protect their critical data.  We believe this ranking is a testament to our ability to meet that need, and to our agility in offering the next generation of security solutions for and via the cloud through our Terremark subsidiary."

In addition, the "Verizon 2012 Data Breach Investigations Report" was published on March 22, making it the fifth annual flagship security report, and spanning 855 data breaches across 174 million stolen records.  For this edition, Verizon was joined by five organizations that contributed data to the report: the United States Secret Service, the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit, the Australian Federal Police, the Irish Reporting & Information Security Service and the Police Central e-Crime Unit of the London Metropolitan Police.

Verizon helps organizations protect their core asset: data.  The company does this through a robust suite of security services -- including governance, risk and compliance solutions; identity and access management solutions; investigative response; data protection services; threat management services; and vulnerability management services -- delivered in the cloud or on premises.  For more information, visit us at verizon.com/enterprise.  For ongoing security insight and analysis from some of the world's most distinguished security researchers, read the the Verizon Security Blog.

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers.  Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with nearly 108 million total connections nationwide.  Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500.  A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 194,000.  For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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