Why A Managed Security Service Provider Should Be On Your Cyber Roadmap

According to Gartner, by 2023 75% of organisations will restructure their risk and security governance to address the widespread adoption of advanced technologies (an increase from fewer than 15% as of today).

The security threat landscape is becoming increasingly complex and dangerous whilst at the same time, businesses are seeing their own IT environments become more complex and distributed. Organisations are having to grapple with multi-cloud environments, workforces choosing remote or hybrid working practices, SaaS, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies, to name but just a few.

It is clear therefore that organisations need to adopt resilient cybersecurity strategies that allow them to run the business smoothly, whilst protecting against any potential security threats.  

In the face of such a challenging cybersecurity landscape, businesses are now faced with a plethora of choices when it comes to security tools, products, and services. Indeed, many security products are required to provide adequate protection and visibility.

• Perhaps you are considering Zero Trust technology, a current darling of the security world, whereby the notion of ‘never trust, always verify’ is hard-wired into everything or maybe a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), cloud-hosted software (or on-premises software/hardware) that acts as an intermediary between users and cloud service providers.

• What about Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), a network architecture that combines VPN and SD-WAN capabilities with cloud-native security functions?

• Then there are Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) solutions and the whole concept of Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR) to consider. 

The list can seem endless and, at the same time, organisations increasingly need people with a high and diverse skill set to implement, integrate, and manage all of these tools and solutions. However, skilled cyber security staff are very hard to find these days and even more difficult to keep on the payroll. So, it is unsurprising therefore to see the results of a recent report published by non-profit cyber security network, (ISC)2. The report reveals that although Ireland can count on some 15,000 cybersecurity workers, it would need up to 10,000 more to meet the very high demand for professionals with infosec skills.

Furthermore, the report highlights an estimated cybersecurity skills shortage of nearly 200,000 professionals across Europe.
 
If you are a small to medium organisation you will probably find that enterprise-level tools are often outside the scope of your IT budget - not to mention acquiring the skills to work with them or to run a Security Operations Centre (SOC). Little wonder then that many businesses choose a managed security services provider (MSSP) to mitigate the pressures that they face with respect to all aspects of information security - malware, data theft, skills shortages, limited resources, evolving cyber threats etc.

In essence, an MSSP offers security services to businesses - its role is to help protect businesses from a wide range of security threats.

They can provide all kinds of cybersecurity monitoring and management - VPN management, intruder alerts, blocking viruses and spam, firewall management and even help with system upgrades. And whilst enterprise-level businesses might seem to benefit from MSSP services because of increased security threats, SMEs will find value from an MSSP due to the nature of threat evolution - MSSPs offer the necessary expertise here.
 
Using economies of scale, both MSSPs and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) are best placed to build SOC’s, an integrated product stack and maintain the skills and personnel that are required in order to provide Security-as-a-Service, 24hours and 365 days a year to their customers (of all shapes and sizes). Does your organisation require every single service on an MSSP’s portfolio? If a particular service doesn’t add value to your business, then probably not. There might be some areas that your current team is able to manage. Evaluate where the gaps are and your MSSP can help with the rest.
 
IT security is a big challenge and provides multiple headaches for businesses of all sizes. With changing working habits adding to the complexities brought about by shifting to the cloud, technology can provide solutions and tools. In the face of such bewildering choice and with skilled labour in short supply, looking to an MSSP could be the best decision as your business considers its cyber security roadmap.  

Francis O’Haire is Group Technology Director of DataSolutions

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