Cyber Security Insights and Opportunities Revealed in Onvia Research

SEATTLE, Sept. 8, 2016

Why Cyber Security Matters for All B2G Buyers and Sellers

Cyber security in government is no longer an issue just for IT departments to manage. It has ascended to the very highest levels of awareness impacting political priorities, funding requests and anti-threat initiatives. This results in more regulations that affect every industry in the form of new contract language, requirements and even the need for education among vendors and government buyers.

"In this current environment, contractors, regardless of the industry, increasingly have to comply with newer cyber security rules," said Paul Irby, Onvia Market Analyst. "For example, the research shows that over the last 12 months, around 10,000 projects were found where cyber security was not the primary focus of work but was still listed in the primary bid document as a requirement that can affect a broader range of contractors."

Key takeaways for government buyers and sellers include:

• Deployment Challenges Invite Opportunity – Agencies have been struggling to keep up with the influx of incidents. Vendors have the opportunity to provide the expert guidance and solutions that agencies need.
• Critical Infrastructure and National Defense are the Most at Risk - The broad spectrum of functions from general purpose government to education also need vendor assistance.
• Teaming Opportunities – Vendors that do not have a robust cyber offering or expertise should consider teaming up with specialists to compete for cyber-related contracts.
• Quality Services – 70-80% of the contracts being issued for cyber security services are service oriented, rather than product oriented.

"Aside from revealing the opportunity, the report also covers examples of recent high profile data breaches, key buyer segments, top vendors and the top states issuing the most contracts," said Alberto Sutton, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Onvia. "There is a sense of urgency around cyber security in government and agencies are triggering procurement mechanisms that all vendors need to be aware of to compete effectively."

With this report government vendors and buyers can be better prepared to navigate cyber security in the B2G marketplace. Request a copy of the report here.