Managed security service providers (MSSPs) can be an invaluable resource for businesses that want to maximize their network security, but don’t have the resources to build a large cybersecurity team internally. However, the choice to use managed security services should not be taken lightly.
Companies need to consider the benefits of managed security services (as well as their specific cybersecurity requirements) before choosing an MSSP to partner with. What are some managed security service benefits that companies can leverage? Why should a company use an outsourced network security team instead of an in-house one?
Here’s a short list of some benefits of using managed security services:
#1: MSSPs Have Extensive Cybersecurity Knowledge and Experience
One of the most basic benefits of managed security services is that the MSSP will have in-depth knowledge of common (and even esoteric) network security issues that most businesses lack. In most cases, an active managed security service provider will have more current knowledge than an in-house cybersecurity team will.
This is often because the MSSP can leverage experience gained from managing network security issues for a large number of companies operating across different verticals. Meanwhile, the in-house team is only exposed to one company’s cybersecurity challenges and will not benefit from exposure to as many different attack strategies and security architectures.
The extra experience managed security service providers gain from working with other industries and verticals helps make them more flexible and adaptable. For example, if they see one company using a particular security measure that is highly effective, they may bring it to their other customers. Meanwhile, the in-house team may never see that security measure in action—so they never think to use it until after it has gained mass appeal.
#2: MSSPs May Use Security Tools In-House Teams Aren’t Familiar with
Because of their extensive knowledge and experience, managed security service providers may come across tools and resources that an in-house cybersecurity team may not have heard of. This may help improve their ability to respond to specific cybersecurity challenges.
For example, if phishing attacks are a problem for your company (and, considering the data featured in the 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report by Verizon, they likely are), an experienced MSSP might have anti-phishing tools that are effective for stopping these attacks—tools that an in-house team with less real-world experience might not know about.
Having a broad knowledge of cybersecurity tools helps MSSPs better optimize the specific managed security services and tools that they use. This, in turn, helps them improve their customers’ network security architecture as a whole by mixing and matching the best services and tools for each company’s unique needs.
#3: Using Managed Security Services Frees In-House IT for Value-Driven Work
Another one of the biggest benefits of managed security services is that using an external team to tackle security processes frees up internal IT team members, so they can focus on tasks that drive results.
Instead of having to constantly monitor SIEM data dashboards, threat intelligence feeds, and software developer update notifications for important updates, the internal IT team can provide support to the rest of the organization to help meet overarching business goals. This is often a better use of the IT team’s time—especially if cybersecurity wasn’t their primary purpose to begin with.
#4: Reducing the Cost of Labor for Managing Cybersecurity Solutions
Hiring an in-house network security expert is prohibitively expensive for most organizations. Not only do cybersecurity pros have salaries that easily hit the six-figure range, companies need an entire team of these experts to provide optimal protection. After all, even the best cybersecurity pros need to take a break every now and again. Additionally, it takes a team to cultivate the broad knowledge pool needed to provide truly effective protection from cyber threats.
With managed security services, companies can access large teams of experienced security professionals for a fraction of the cost of hiring them internally. How do MSSPs manage security so cost-effectively? By applying economies of scale to their cybersecurity efforts.
The labor of the MSSP’s cybersecurity team is divided among several customers—which helps to ameliorate the costs for each customer. This is also how many MSSP teams develop such a broad knowledge base regarding network security and cyber threats—they learn from their experiences with other customers.
Naturally, the specific costs of managed security services will vary based on the vendor, what services are being provided, and the complexity/scale of the network being protected. However, these costs will generally be lower than the expenses required to staff a full-time in-house team robust enough to match the MSSP’s services.
All of these managed security services benefits help companies:
- Save money;
- Increase cybersecurity; and
- Save resources for more important business tasks.
Are you ready to increase your organization’s cybersecurity with managed security services? Reach out to Compuquip today to learn more.
