The interaction between two strong business trends -- security services and cloud services -- made 2012 a strong year for startups combining aspects of both industries. Companies offering cloud security services were expected to accumulate $1.9 billion in revenue this year, a figure that is expected to grow to $4.2 billion in 2016, according to business analysis firm Gartner.

Using cloud security gateways to manage identity and mobile users, as well as threat analysis services were among the strongest trends this year, says Lawrence Pingree, research director at Gartner. Companies such as PwnedList and WWPass focused on protecting identity, albeit in different ways, while CrowdStrike, Lastline, and SecurityStarfish focused on threat intelligence and gaining information on attackers. Such services -- security information and event management (SIEM) and security intelligence engines -- top the list of services that companies plan to adopt in the next 24 months, Pingree says.