Top Security Stocks for 2010

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- As illustrated by Google's(GOOG) recent network security struggles in China, hackers -- and subsequent network outages -- strike fear and uncertainty into the heart of corporate America. That means upside for cybersecurity stocks like McAfee(MFE), ArcSight(ARST), Sourcefire(FIRE) and Check Point(CHKP).

From Washington to Wall Street, organizations are under increasing pressure to lock down data, thanks in part to the massive denial-of-service attack that targeted Web sites in the U.S. and South Korea last year.

Even the government, which recently appointed its first cybersecurity tsar, is expected to increase spending on IT security from $7.9 billion in 2009 to $11.7 billion in 2014.

As IT spending continues its rebound, here the handful of security software stocks to keep an eye on.