Security demands for online applications such as e-commerce and Web services are prompting more corporate customers to hand off security functions - such as intrusion detection and firewalls - to outside service providers.

Users are finding that third-party security service providers can also help augment an internal security strategy by preparing reports required by many new government regulations.

As a result, the trend toward outsourcing security functions, which peaked during the Internet boom, is slowly angling upward again as companies discover that handing off routine security activities enables them to focus internal security expertise in more critical areas. However, hurdles remain, and many companies still prefer to keep such sensitive IT functions in-house.

By Jennifer Mears at NWF.

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