Managed and Professional Security Services Growth Opportunities in China
Regulatory Pressure in the Interest of National Security Compels Organizations to Seek External Support to Fortify Their Cybersecurity Posture
18-Jan-2024
Asia Pacific
Market Research
PF8A-01-00-00-00
AE_2023_519
The COVID-19 pandemic transformed business models as consumers moved toward online channels. In response, organizations rapidly adopted digital technologies and incorporated them into their daily operations and customer-facing services. The digitalization surge presents unprecedented opportunities but also significant cybersecurity challenges because of the expanded attack surface.
Remote work practices, digital processes, the internet of things, and cloud-based technology have resulted in increasingly complex IT environments that expose organizations to higher levels of cyber risk. The threat landscape will continue to expand because digitalization has created numerous potential points of entry for cybercriminals. As cyber threats continue to evolve, managed security service providers can help organizations implement more robust security measures.
This Frost & Sullivan research service provides insights into segments, verticals, and horizontals of China’s managed and professional security services market. The study analyzes the factors driving and restraining the use of these services, performs a forecast analysis, examines pricing trends and the competitive landscape, and identifies growth opportunities. The base year is 2022, and the forecast period is 2023 to 2027.
Author: Vivien Pua
Revenue Forecast
The revenue estimate for the base year 2022 is $897.8 million, with a CAGR of 14.3% for the study period from 2022 to 2027.

The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the Managed and Professional Security Services Industries in China
Transformative Mega Trends
Why:
- Cloud computing, the internet of things (IoT), and software-as-a-service (SaaS) applications have become an integral part of many business operations as a result of the accelerated digital transformation that many organizations went through in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. As these technologies continue to be incorporated, organizations are looking for external support and help to secure their IT environment.
Frost Perspective:
- A consequence of the transformation is a wider threat landscape. Traditional security solutions are not designed to detect and mitigate modern cybersecurity threats, so organizations are looking to outsource their threat management to managed security service providers (MSSPs) to help them to monitor and mitigate threats in their IT infrastructure.
Internal Challenges
Why:
- Organizations’ reliance on digital technologies has resulted in the more frequent and more sophisticated cyberattacks that have overwhelmed in-house security teams. A shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals that is plaguing China makes it more difficult to expand those teams to manage all the alerts.
Frost Perspective:
- The nation’s talent gap is expected to widen in the next 3 to 5 years. External security professionals are one option to help organizations monitor and manage their assets 24/7.
Geopolitical Chaos
Why:
- China has experienced soaring inflation and a slow economic recovery after the lifting of “zero-COVID” restrictions in the past 12 months. The complicated macroeconomic situation has prompted organizations of all sizes and industry backgrounds to realign their priorities and investment strategies. Many have taken a more prudent approach to cybersecurity spending to maintain healthy cash flow amid the uncertainty.
Frost Perspective:
- Organizations are aware of the threats that await if they do not improve their security posture. Protecting their IT environment from advanced threats requires a modernization that is impractical with a tight cybersecurity budget. Instead, organizations are engaging with MSSPs to have access to wide-ranging cybersecurity solutions and experts.
Scope of Analysis
- Managed security services (MSS) are the external resources needed to manage and monitor the security operations of customers’ IT infrastructure. This allows client companies to reduce expenditure on customer-premises equipment or in-house security specialists while receiving effective security management and 24/7 threat monitoring. Professional security services (PSS) ensure compliance and provide security expertise and insights to improve the security operations of customers’ IT infrastructure.
- This study examines China’s cybersecurity services market, offers a breakdown of revenue contributions by vertical and horizontal, and provides a trend analysis for the study period.
- The study derives information and insights from Frost & Sullivan’s secondary research and contributions from vendors, channel partners, and other industry stakeholders. All revenue estimates and forecasts are attributable to Frost & Sullivan’s analysis and modeling. Revenue from the sale of rental of security equipment, licenses, and fees for service implementation is excluded.
Scope
| Geographic coverage | China |
|---|---|
| Study period | 2021–2027 |
| Base year | 2022 |
| Forecast period | 2023–2027 |
| Monetary unit | US dollar |
MSS and PSS Components
Typical MSS Components
-
Security Asset Monitoring/ Management
- Network, Endpoints, and Applications
- Security Asset Upgrade/ Management
- Security Policy Management
- System Health Check/ Configuration
- Managed Threat Detection and Response (MTDR)
- Log Management/ Correlation
- Threat Detection and Response (Managed and Extended)
- Threat Hunting
- Threat Research (Malware/Threat Analysis and TI)
- Investigation and Forensics
- Other Emerging MSS
- Managed Cloud Security
- Managed OT Security
- DDoS Mitigation and DNS Protection
- Honeypot, Deception, and Web Isolation
PSS
- Governance, Risk Management, and Compliance (GRC)
- Risk and Vulnerability Assessment
- Penetration Testing
- Audit and Compliance Management
- Security Advisory/ Consulting
Key Competitors
- CITIC Telecom CPC
-
DBAPPSecurity
- IBM
- Lumen Technologies
- Microland
- Network Box
- NSFOCUS
- NTT
- Orange
- PCCW
- Sangfor
- Tata Communications
- Topsec
- Venustech
Growth Drivers
- Stricter enforcement of cybersecurity regulations
-
Expanded attack surface
- Shortage of cybersecurity talent
Growth Restraints
- Concerns about data privacy and the proper handling of sensitive information by third parties
-
Shrinking cybersecurity budgets and cost-cutting
- Limited understanding of the value of MSS and PSS
Competitive Environment
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Number of Competitors | More than 15 |
| Competitive Factors | Cost, performance, schedule, support, technology, reliability, and customer relationships |
| Key End-user Industry Verticals | Government, BFSI, and Service Providers |
| Leading Competitors | Topsec, NSFOCUS, DBAPPsecurity |
| Market Share of Top 5 Competitors in 2022 | 59.5% |
| Other Notable Competitors | Venustech, CITIC Telecom CPC, Sangfor |
| Distribution Structure | Direct sales and channel sales (resellers, system integrators, telecom operators, and consulting firms) |
Why is it Increasingly Difficult to Grow?
The Strategic Imperative 8™
The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on the Managed and Professional Security Services Industries in China
Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine™
Scope of Analysis
MSS and PSS Components
Service Lines
Growth Metrics
Growth Drivers
Growth Driver Analysis
Growth Driver Analysis (continued)
Growth Driver Analysis (continued)
Growth Restraints
Growth Restraint Analysis
Growth Restraint Analysis (continued)
Revenue Forecast
Revenue Forecast Analysis
Revenue Forecast by Segment
Revenue Contributions
Competitive Environment
Market Share
Market Share Segmentation
MSS and PSS Offerings’ Availability and Completeness
DBAPPSecurity
NSFOCUS
Topsec
Growth Opportunity 1—Demand for a Centralized Security Operations Platform
Growth Opportunity 1—Demand for a Centralized Security Operations Platform (continued)
Growth Opportunity 2—Advanced Cybersecurity Services
Growth Opportunity 2—Advanced Cybersecurity Services (continued)
Growth Opportunity 3—Management of Security Operations in the Cloud
Growth Opportunity 3—Management of Security Operations in the Cloud (continued)
List of Exhibits
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