Deborah Magid

In response to a security-conscious world, venture capitalists are pumping investment dollars into new surveillance technologies, which are designed to help safeguard people and property. The global demand for better security in cities, at airports, at shipping ports, and along border crossings is spurring additional research and development, new product development and upgrades to older technologies, all of which are attracting large pools of funds from both private investors and governments.

The mobile, wireless world in which we now live has created a shift in the focus of venture capital investments in security technology. Today's investors tend to target technology that directly protects people and information, a marked change from a few years ago when the focus was the protection of corporate computer systems as a whole.

Security remains a key growth area for venture capital investment and shows no sign of slowing down. Although the IPO market may be weak (as it is for nearly all categories of venture investment), mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are on the rise. And many new security companies are being created. Think about these compelling statistics: