Commercial or otherwise, in 2022, organisations of all types face challenges in securing their infrastructures from cyberattacks.
There are two options for organisations to manage and protect their systems from threats.
The first is in-house security management. An in-house option is one where you have a dedicated team or person responsible for managing your cybersecurity. Ordinarily, in-house staff would be led by a Head of IT or Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) (or similar).
The other option is outsourcing your cybersecurity as a managed service.
Managed Security Service
A Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) reduces the burden of managing and maintaining a cybersecurity program.
An MSS can deploy a range of tools otherwise limited to many organisations. The provision of these services operated from a Security Operations Centre (SOC) and include:
- Vulnerability Management
- Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
- Security Information & Event Management (SIEM)
- Incident Response
- Cybersecurity awareness training and much more
A managed security service manages your cybersecurity (technology, people, and processes) via a team of experts.
According to Gartner:
A managed security service uses high-availability security operation centres (from their facilities or other data centre providers) to provide a 24/7 service.
The service is designed to reduce the number of operational security personnel an enterprise needs to hire, train, and retain to maintain an acceptable security posture.
The case for managed security services
Several factors drive demand for managed security services.
As well as protecting their organisation, customers and partners, many organisations use a managed service to comply with their sector-specific regulations (such as the financial industry, for example).
So how do you decide whether “in-house” security management or outsourcing program is effective?
What are the benefits of outsourcing, and how do you build an internal business case for a managed service?
What are the challenges?
We must first look at the challenges that can be averted and how value can be added by selecting a managed security services provider.
The following information will help you build a business case for an MSSP.
Technology
Adopting the best technology adds value to your operation.
However, knowing the best technology and implementing it can be challenging. Understanding the impact technology has on your organisation and cyber strategy requires expertise.
Furthermore, you need to consider the implications of the cost of new technology on your budgets and how it will affect the management of your day-to-day risk.
Implementing and using technology in-house may also test the experience and skill of your people, who may already be overworked managing your security.
Take the example of alerts.
Security tools can assist in identifying dangers, but it is easy to become mired in notifications without knowing how to deal with them. This will result in shortages in security operations because your people are spreading themselves thin with alert overload.
One of the most significant advantages of a managed security service is having access to services where their technology and systems are already set up.
Once you have agreed to outsource your cybersecurity to a managed service provider, the onboarding process is fast, meaning deployment can begin immediately.
People
The cybersecurity landscape is dynamic, fluid, and complex. Therefore, you will need access to the best people with the abilities and experience to tackle these challenges.
Upskilling an in-house team, recruiting new staff and investing in training is one way of staying ahead of threats.
However, the level of expertise needed means that the cost of hiring the right people will be expensive. Once you have recruited the right people, you must then consider the costs of continuous employee training and development.
The alternative of in-house staff is a valid one. Yet, exposing complex security issues to your under-resourced workers who lack technological skills may make your organisation more vulnerable.
For many companies, investing in a large team of cybersecurity professionals and managing them 24/7/365 is not a viable long-term strategy. Constraints in acquiring, hiring, and implementing the critical resources needed to protect their organisation require time and resources.
Against these challenges, managed security services can dramatically improve an organisation’s overall cyber resilience, enabling them to detect, defeat, and recover from increasingly sophisticated attacks faster and more confidently.
SOC analysts within a managed service are an extension of an organisation’s IT or cyber teams. With access to analysts 24/7/365, you can take a more strategic approach to cybersecurity, enabling you to operate confidently.
A managed service takes time and effort to run a cybersecurity operation.
Processes
An in-house setup may rely on one or more people to be fully responsible for all cybersecurity.
This is not sustainable if you consider staff can leave, thus taking away their skills and experience.
An advantage of an MSSP is that you have 24-hour, seven-day-a-week monitoring and response service, no matter your internal circumstances.
Many organisations cannot allocate full-time resources to security operations. With cybersecurity threats becoming more prevalent, an MSSP guarantees that a team of analysts constantly monitors your infrastructure.
Each organisation has cybersecurity specifications that depend on the sector they’re in, its staff, and its customer base.
A single approach to cybersecurity solutions does not work. Therefore, partnering with a managed security service provider with customisable solutions is recommended. An MSSP such as Sapphire can provide solutions that focus on your needs.
I want to know more
If you’re looking for managed security service providers, visit Sapphire’s Managed Security Services page to learn how we can protect your organisation from the risk of cyber threats.
By working with a managed security service such as Sapphire, you benefit from not only access to high-level expertise and resources but also a partnership where ongoing support is underpinned by best-in-breed technology.
From Managed SIEM to Managed Threat Intelligence, we will work with you to provide protection for your infrastructure.