Ann Arbor region poised to fill growing cybersecurity need

Could cybersecurity be the next new economy, job-growing industry in Ann Arbor?Excerpt:As Web-based attacks become increasingly identified as a national security issue, Michigan companies that offer cybersecurity solutions are poised to reap influxes of revenue.The Ann Arbor region in particular has been steadily assembling a portfolio of companies dedicated to providing network security products and services. Such technology is drawing national attention as the federal government has incurred a series of high-profile network security breaches in recent months.Executives from several local information technology security companies suggested they are positioned to capitalize on a growing focus on network security issues.Sean Heiney, who leads Barracuda Networks’ expanding Ann Arbor operation on Depot Street, said the firm’s Web filtering and analysis technology is already deployed with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Centers for Disease Control and National Aeronautics and Space Administration, for example.Critical to cybersecurity technologies is the ability to detect attacks after hackers have breached a network, Heiney said. “The historic emphasis has been placed on the perimeter of the network,” he said. “But now it’s commonly recognized that security is best done in defensive layers.”Read the rest of the story here.