The secure Web gateway (SWG), security information event management (SIEM) and e-mail security market segments demonstrated the highest growth at 48 percent, 31.1 percent and 29.4 percent, respectively, said Gartner.

Consumer security and enterprise endpoint protection remained the two largest sub-segments of the Asia Pacific security market in 2008, totaling US$1.08 billion, the firm added.

In 2008, the largest security markets in Asia Pacific were (in order) China, Australia and South Korea, Gartner said. Achieving over 30 percent growth, the most dynamic countries were China, Indonesia and Vietnam, the company revealed.

As the biggest security market in Asia Pacific, China had the fastest growth of 39.4 per cent, said Cheung, attributing this to the high growth of local security players, such as Rising and Kingsoft, the heavy spending on Olympic Games in 2008 and the rapid increase in foreign investments. Other drivers included the modernization of IT infrastructure and domestic demand in the country, he noted.