Managed Security 101

To gain security expertise and reduce the workload of their in-house security personnel, more companies are turning to controlled security services.

MANAGED SECURITY SERVICES DEFINITION

Managed security services are provided by third-party vendors for the oversight and management of a company's security processes. Managed security service providers (MSSPs) offer services in-house or remotely, most often via the cloud. MSSPs have a broad range of security services, from infrastructure setup to security monitoring and incident response.

Organizations hire MSSPs for a number of reasons, including a lack of in-house personnel or experience in certain areas of security, as well as the need for security monitoring and management outside of regular business hours. Organizations will employ managed security service providers to perform security assessments or respond to and investigate accidents in other situations.

HIREING A MANAGED SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDER HAS ITS ADVANTAGES

The security experience and extra staffing that controlled security services have are the main advantages. MSSPs' ability to handle security processes from a remote location enables businesses to go about their business as usual with minimal disruption from security measures, while the MSSP app keeps a continuous line of communication open and provides streamlined reporting to the business. MSSPs keep company IT informed about security problems, investigations, and maintenance, allowing the recruiting organization to concentrate on security governance rather than administrative tasks.

MSSPs now provide a broad variety of security services, ranging from full security program outsourcing to tailored services that concentrate on a particular aspect of an organization's security (such as threat monitoring, data protection, management of network security tools, regulatory compliance, or incident response and forensics).Businesses can save money by outsourcing security so they don't have to keep a full-time, on-site IT security department. MSSPs are often used by many companies for quicker deployment times and better time-to-value on security investments.

REASONS TO USE SECURITY SERVICES THAT ARE MANAGED

Despite a growing recognition of the importance of proactive security measures, many businesses continue to wait until they have experienced a loss as a result of a data breach before introducing sound security measures. As the number of cyber threats increases, it's more important than ever for businesses to prioritize IT security. Controlled security service providers are a valuable choice for organizations that lack security program sophistication or simply want to extend their security capabilities because:

Managed security services include round-the-clock monitoring, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Choosing to manage enterprise security in-house rather than outsource it necessitates a significant investment in both personnel and technology.

Cyber attacks grow at a breakneck pace, resulting in one new threat after another. Keeping up with emerging threats, resolving threats as they emerge, and recovering from events found too late can all take a lot of time and money if you don't have the right security tools and resources.

Most MSSPs have operations all over the world, and their emphasis on threat detection gives them a distinct advantage over businesses whose main business role is unrelated to security and technology.

Another big benefit of hiring an MSSP is that these companies can conduct vulnerability and penetration testing, run security scans on a regular basis, and handle other security management functions for the company, allowing organization IT to concentrate on security program oversight and other tasks that help the company achieve its goals.

SELECTING A MANAGED SECURITY SERVICE PROVIDER: BEST PRACTICES

Since there are so many managed security providers and MSSPs on the market today, it's critical to figure out what the company's needs are and then hire the right MSSP to meet them. Until assessing MSSPs, IT and security teams can carefully prepare the roles to be outsourced, then consult with business unit leaders and management to decide the partnership's budget and processes. It's critical to study your potential choices and build a short list of vendors to engage for an evaluation once your company has set out its MSSP requirements. The final step in determining which MSSP is best for your business needs should be meeting with these vendors and reviewing customer references.