Why Your Enterprise Should Consider Managed Security

Across many enterprises, there is a shortage of IT security personnel –  from incident responders to threat intelligence analysts and even at the leadership level. This increases the risk of cyber security threats to these businesses – a concern in pre-COVID-19 times, but even more so a worry today with the spike in pandemic-related cyber attacks. Many enterprises are finding that managed security is an answer to reduce risk and cover gaps in security talent.

The shortage in security talent results in layers of impact on the organization. Existing staff struggle to learn enough security technology to protect the enterprise, and are pushed to train junior staff when experienced professionals can’t be hired. When top talent is acquired, the enterprise has the constant challenge of retention, with recruiters contacting their employees regularly with offers of better salaries and benefits.

The solution for many enterprises is a managed security provider that can help close the skills gap and also address security risks. These providers offer 24/7 monitoring of devices and systems and remove the difficulties around recruiting and hiring the best security experts from the enterprise. A provider of managed detection and response offers an additional capability of detecting threats that have infiltrated the enterprise network.

Both of these types of managed security providers allow enterprises to reduce costs while getting the expertise they need to protect the IT environment. The demand for such services is increasing, as enterprises face an expanding attack surface, complexity in security technology, and a dynamic threat landscape. These factors make identifying and mitigating threats more difficult.

Customized Security

With an understanding that security is never a one-size-fits-all situation, these providers offer a menu of options with solutions to fit every enterprise. For instance, if an organization doesn’t have the staff or resources to invest in a threat-centric security operations solution, a managed security provider can take on the task and provide that service. The enterprise can then add services like vulnerability management, risk assessments, phishing threat management, and incident response.

For those enterprises wanting to fully take advantage of the benefits of managed security, the provider can integrate threat management into the infrastructure. Data is sent automatically into the security infrastructure to detect and mitigate threats most critical to the organization.

For enterprises considering a managed security solution, there are some factors to include when evaluating a provider:

• Determine whether the provider is equipped to handle your technology stack, including both on-premise and cloud solutions, as well as whether they can adapt as your security needs change.
• Carefully examine the service level agreements for each provider you’re considering, with special attention paid to the expectations surrounding response times.
• Talk with references and determine whether the provider is experienced in working with enterprises with a similar technology stack, or, if you are in an industry with heavy compliance regulations, ensure they are equipped to handle them.
• Find out whether they offer the services of a virtual chief information security officer. Even if you currently have a thriving leadership in your security team, you could confront a situation where you require a solution outside your organization for directing security teams.If you’re struggling to keep enough of the right security talent in your organization, managed security may be a good fit for your team. Contact us at ITBroker.com to start the discussion.