New Delhi, May 15 (IANS): As Internet traffic volumes explode amid growing cyber-security threats, 47 per cent of senior IT professionals from communication service providers (CSPs) in India now give priority to upgrading firewalls and other security appliances as part of their overall network security investment, a report showed on Monday.

While 30 per cent give emphasis on DDoS detection and monitoring, 33 per cent prioritise investments in ransomware and malware protection services, according to the report by A10 Networks undertaken by independent research organisation, Opinion Matters.

The report found that 100 per cent of the Indian service providers expect to see traffic volumes rise in the next 2-3 years.

"Although upgrading firewalls and other security appliances came out top, this was less dominant than it was two years ago when we did our first CSP survey," said Anthony Webb, vice president of A10 International.

This points to the fact that today's network security strategy must be wide-ranging with a well-rounded approach that can handle the full spectrum of emerging threats to maintain a high quality, reliable and secure service for customers, he noted.

Network security strategy is becoming more sophisticated and diverse in India.

While 28 per cent prefer automation of security policies, 37 per cent aim for simplification and integration of disparate point solutions.

While 41 per cent of respondents said they are expanding their networks to unserved/underserved communities, 30 per cent are planning to expand for an uplift of more than 10 per cent on their current subscriber base in India.

Overall, 63 per cent of respondents in India reported a positive outcome related to their cloud transition and 27 per cent said that it has directly generated revenue.

"This cloud transition is also evident when it comes to key purchasing criteria for network equipment, as being in a cloud native form factor was a must-have criteria, with 31 per cent Indian respondents saying this," said Webb.