It seems that just about every day we keep hearing about cyberhacking activities. In fact, in 2013, there have major security breaches at Wall Street banks, various media outlets and even the Department of Energy. It's that last one that doesn't get much press yet energy cybersecurity is becoming a hot topic. In fact, I believe it could be a rather large thematic investment story for 2014. One company I believe is positioned strongly for growth is defense player Lockheed Martin (LMT 2.62%). Lockheed already derives over 20% of its total sales from cybersecurity services, and the company is moving more and more into the energy sector.
Recent conversations I've had with management teams at major utility companies lead me to believe critical infrastructure in a post-Sandy world means safeguarding power distribution assets is the new norm, especially as more and more data is stored in the cloud or controlled via the smart grid. Whichever way you look at it, Lockheed's dominant role in cybersecurity is likely to continue, and I'm expecting the company to possibly look to acquire smaller rivals in the coming year, especially since the U.S. government is becoming even more supportive of legislation that makes cybersecurity a more boots-on-the-ground normality.
