There are 39 Virginia-based firms on the Q2 2015 Cybersecurity 500 list of the world’s hottest and most innovative cybersecurity companies.
Virginia boasts more companies on the list than all states except for California, with 150. When you consider the geographic size of California stretching from the Bay Area down to Los Angeles and San Diego – plus the number of companies that form in the Bay Area as pure startups seeking venture capital or relocate headquarters there from other parts of the United States and other countries for proximity to Sand Hill (with its dense population of VC firms) – Virginia is arguably the number-one locale for cybersecurity companies.
Right behind Virginia is Massachusetts with 35 companies listed on the Cybersecurity 500.
If this cyber momentum keeps up, the state might want to think about changing its motto from “Virginia is for Lovers” to “Virginia is for Cybersecurity.” Or, considering that so many of these companies help protect our nation, our companies and our citizens, the state might even consider a name change to “Cyberginia.”
Why is Virginia such a hotbed for cybersecurity?
The worldwide cybersecurity market is defined by market sizing estimates that range from $71 billion in 2014 to $155+ billion by 2019, according to Cybersecurity Ventures’ Q2 2015 Cybersecurity Market Report. The aerospace, defense and intelligence vertical continue to be the largest contributor to cybersecurity solutions; and North America is expected to be the biggest market, according to a report by Markets and Markets.
Demand for vendor-furnished information security products and services by the U.S. federal government will increase from $7.8 billion in FY 2014 to $10.0 billion in 2019 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2 percent, according to Deltek’s Federal Information Security Market Report (published Oct. 2014), which examines the trends and drivers shaping the federal information security marketplace and provides a forecast for the next five years.
When you consider these market-sizing estimates and projections, which align to the federal sector – and all of the federal agencies that are headquartered in Virginia – it explains a lot.
The Cybersecurity 500 creates awareness and recognition for the most innovative cybersecurity companies, ranging from the largest and most recognizable brands to VC-backed startups and emerging players to small firms with potentially game-changing technologies to solution providers poised for growth around productized or vertically focused services.
The Virginia-based firms listed on the Cybersecurity 500, Q2 2015 edition, in the order in which they appear are:
- 16. Sera-Brynn, cyber risk management, Suffolk, Va
- 64. IKANOW, threat analytics platform, Reston, Va
- 76. Lookingglass, cyber threat intelligence management, Arlington Va
- 81. Leidos, anti-terrorism and Homeland Security, Reston, Va
- 109. Xceedium, privileged identity management, Herndon, Va
- 127. CYREN, Web email and mobile security, McLean, Va
- 139. CyFIR, digital forensics and eDiscovery, Manassas, Va
- 146. ePlus Security, infosecurity products and services, Herndon, Va
- 151. Haystax, advanced threat analytics, McLean, Va
- 189. Syntegrity Networks, identity management and data security, Fairfax, Va
- 192. ThreatSim, proactive phishing defense, Herndon, Va
- 208. Centripetal Networks, cyber threat intelligence, Herndon, Va
- 215. Cigital, application security testing, Dulles, Va
- 220. Ntrepid, secure network and online computing, Herndon, Va
- 223. Paraben, digital forensics and data recovery, Ashburn, Va
- 224. MindPoint Group, IT security solutions, Springfield, Va
- 235. Oberthur Technologies, digital security for mobility, Chantilly, Va
- 238. Northrop Grumman, cyber and Homeland Security, McLean, Va
- 269. CACI, intelligence, defense and federal security, Ballston, Va
- 290. MicroStrategy, mobile identity platform, Tysons Corner, Va
- 312. Daon, identity assurance and biometrics, Fairfax, Va
- 331. Vistronix, cybersecurity for federal agencies, Reston, Va
- 345. L-3, national security solutions, Reston, Va
- 366. Defense Point Security, cybersecurity for federal agencies, Alexandria, Va
- 374. CSC, IT security services, Falls Church, Va
- 391. SAIC, cybersecurity professional services, McLean, Va
- 403. Endgame, security intelligence and Analytics, Arlington, Va
- 406. Siemens Government Technologies, cybersecurity for federal government, Arlington, Va
- 434. Taia Global, cybersecurity consulting services, McLean, Va
- 438. AXON Ghost Sentinel, Internet of Things security, Harrisonburg, Va
- 440. Hyperion Gray, open source Web security, Arlington, Va
- 446. Veris Group, cybersecurity professional services, Vienna, Va
- 451. ThreatConnect, cyber threat intelligence platform, Arlington, Va
- 461. GuidePoint Security, information security services, Reston, Va
- 465. Risk Based Security, cyber risk analytics, Richmond, Va
- 469. SurfWatch Labs, cyber risk intelligence analytics, Sterling, Va
- 478. Paladion, cybersecurity testing and monitoring, Herndon, Va
- 483. Distil Networks, malicious bot detection and prevention, Arlington,Va
- 495. CloudHASH Security, enterprise endpoint security, Fairfax, Va
If we include Maryland and Washington, D.C. into the count, that would add another 18 companies on the Cybersecurity 500, bringing the Va-Md-D.C. area up to a total of 57 cybersecurity companies.
Click here to see the entire Cybersecurity 500 list of companies for Q2 2015.The Cybersecurity 500 is updated quarterly with new companies coming on the list, other companies dropping off, and some number positions changing.
Steve Morgan is founder and CEO at Cybersecurity Ventures and editor-in-chief of the Cybersecurity Market Report and the Cybersecurity 500 list of the world’s hottest and most innovative cybersecurity companies. Follow Steve on Twitter or connect with him on LinkedIn.