Enterprises Aligning on Solutions That Simplify Operations and Expand Protection for APIs
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – March 5, 2026 – According to a recently published report from Dell’Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the telecommunications, security, networks, and data center industries, the worldwide Network Security market rose 10 percent to over $26 B in 2025, within which the Application Security and Delivery portion totaled nearly $6 B and grew 15 percent in 2025. This alignment matters because application-layer controls are increasingly setting the pace for broader network security investment decisions.
“As enterprises modernize customer-facing services and operationalize AI-enabled workflows, the web and API layer becomes the most visible choke point for availability, performance, and governance, which elevates the importance of integrated delivery and protection platforms,” said Mauricio Sanchez, Sr. Director, Enterprise Security and Networking at Dell’Oro Group.
“AI applications have accelerated API sprawl and raised the cost of inconsistent application policy. Application Security and Delivery grew 15 percent in 2025 because buyers are consolidating delivery and protection into integrated platforms,” added Sanchez.
Additional highlights from the 4Q 2025 Network Security Quarterly Report:
- WAF: Web and API protection remained a priority as enterprises sought consistent enforcement for rapidly changing application surfaces, with suite packaging and shared policy models emerging as key differentiators.
- ADC: Demand continued to shift toward software-centric delivery models that support portability, automation, and modern application architectures, with tighter integration with security policy becoming a more visible selection criterion.
- Firewalls: Buyers continued to fund foundational segmentation and policy enforcement, but procurement decisions increasingly centered on broader platform strategies that simplify operations and strengthen subscription attachment across the installed base.
- SSE: Cloud-delivered access controls remained an important architectural pillar, reinforcing consolidation expectations and increasing pressure for unified policy, consistent telemetry, and simplified administration across users, sites, and workloads
- SWG Appliances: The segment continued to function primarily as a transition path for organizations modernizing inspection and policy enforcement toward cloud-delivered architectures.
The Dell’Oro Group Network Security Report includes manufacturers’ revenue covering the ADC, Firewall, SSE, traditional SWG appliances, and WAF product segments. Moreover, SSEs are further broken down across four primary functions: CASB, FWaaS, SWG, and ZTNA. The report also splits many segments by form factor: physical, virtual, and SaaS. To purchase this report, please contact us at dgsales@delloro.com.
Dell’Oro Group is a market research firm that specializes in strategic competitive analysis in the telecommunications, security, enterprise networks, and data center markets. Our firm provides in-depth quantitative data and qualitative analysis to facilitate critical, fact-based business decisions. For more information, contact Dell’Oro Group at +1.650.622.9400 or visit https://www.delloro.com.
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