Catch the news and you get a pretty clear sense that times are tough and people are still hurting out there. Naturally, all of us respond by looking at our budgets, then cut what we feel are needless expenses. That’s all well and good – we can survive with one less vacation, or outfit hanging in our closet. But when we make short-term cost-cutting decisions – like nixing a gym membership – that affects our long-term health and hurts more in the long run.

That’s what’s happening with IT security budgets. In an effort to do more with less, IT and security managers are looking for ways to cut costs. It’s not surprising to find out that organizations, in evaluating new security systems, are focusing on initial acquisition, licensing and maintenance costs. Which means they’re tempted by low-priced options. But just like not going to the gym turns you into a couch potato, compromising on security for mail servers and endpoints is just short-term gain for long-term pain.

The true cost of any enterprise security solution depends on four additional factors beside upfront fixed cost investments, and these should be taken into serious consideration before choosing any new endpoint security solution.

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