The security appliance market has demonstrated resilience, achieving a 1.5% growth in revenue during the fourth quarter of 2024 (4Q24), reaching a total of US$5.1 billion. IDC says this increase of US$77 million year-over-year reflects a stable demand for hardware-based security solutions.
According to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly Security Appliance Tracker report, 1.2 million units were delivered in 2024, 2.7% more compared to the same period in 2023. This growth indicates a continued reliance on security appliances as organisations seek robust solutions to combat evolving cyber threats.
“Hardware-based security appliances remain a cornerstone of cybersecurity strategies, delivering dedicated, high-performance protection against evolving threats,” said Carlo Dávila, research manager for Enterprise Trackers at IDC.
He emphasised that as organisations adopt hybrid security models, hardware serves as a foundational element, enhanced by subscription-based services and complemented by software and cloud solutions. This multifaceted approach allows businesses to better safeguard their infrastructure while adapting to new security challenges.
Regional Insights
Regionally, the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) market led the growth with an impressive 12.4% increase in 4Q24, significantly contributing to the overall expansion of the global security appliances market. This growth in EMEA helped offset a decline of 4.4% in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Within EMEA, Western Europe exhibited particularly strong performance, achieving a remarkable 15.4% growth compared to the same quarter in the previous year.
As organisations increasingly integrate AI-driven capabilities into their security frameworks, hardware-based solutions are evolving to meet these demands. Dávila noted that “with AI-driven capabilities increasingly integrated as subscriptions, hardware-based solutions continue to evolve, reinforcing their pivotal role in building resilient and adaptive cybersecurity frameworks.”
IDC concludes that the steady growth of the security appliance market underscores the ongoing importance of hardware in cybersecurity strategies, as organisations navigate a complex threat landscape while striving to enhance their security postures.