On the one hand, for any area not a “core competency” inside a business, outsourcing often spells cost savings. But can companies afford to give away the keys to their security operation?

Given the difficulty companies have maintaining network security, training personnel, and staying ahead of the vicious patch-or-perish cycle, many companies have outsourced at least some aspects of their security shop, though some industries (such as financial services) are in general notable exceptions.

It's no surprise, then, that managed security service has grown from $900 million in 2001 to $1.5 billion in 2002. The Yankee Group predicts sales will hit $2.6 billion by 2005.

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