What Is a Managed Cyber Security Service Provider?

Securing an enterprise network includes frequent integrations, security patches, system upgrades, and environment changes. Companies often outsource these services for efficient handling and management.

A managed cyber security service provider ensures effective monitoring and management of an organization’s infrastructure. While this solution is highly sought after, choosing a trusted provider is imperative to ensuring desired outcomes. Let’s find out what is an MSSP, how it works, and why businesses require such services.

What Is a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP)?

A managed security service provider (MSSP) is a third party offering network security services to businesses. Through outsourcing services, organizations reduce the strain on their security professionals while cutting overhead. MSSP cyber security companies offer specialized set of services, with the core being: 

• Incident Response
• Vulnerability Management
• Firewall Monitoring

Managed security service providers use highly scalable, high-availability security centers, either owned by them or other data center providers. This reduces an organization’s constant need to train and hire new security personnel. 

Why Businesses Turn to MSSPs

Growing your business creates a wider attack surface area that needs to be safeguarded. Managed security operations offer the expertise, tools, and infrastructures you need to address network vulnerabilities. With skilled professionals, advanced security tools, and cloud-based operations, they help organizations gain benefits such as: 

Proactive Management and Support

Keeping a network secure requires awareness of evolving cybersecurity threats, which requires dedicated resources and training. Many organizations can’t keep up with these. A managed service provider solves this by deterring threats and preventing network exploitation through preemptive defense strategies. 

These involve technologies such as advanced threat intelligence to identify vulnerabilities, isolate threats, and patch systems. Organizations access experienced support round-the-clock in case of any breach, issue, or technical difficulty.

Costly Efficiency

Maintaining an internal team of professionals specifically managing cybersecurity threats can be expensive. In contrast, most MSSPs offer a subscription-based model, allowing businesses to pay only for the services used. Companies can allocate resources smartly rather than invest huge sums in professionals.

Enhanced Protection

Cybersecurity is central to MSSPs’ services, which is why they invest heavily in cutting-edge technology to offer complete protection. This allows businesses to use these security devices without having to buy them.

Limited Time

Businesses need to handle shifting priorities, leaving little time to deal with cyber security issues. Outsourced monitoring services address this by keeping the entire network secure and offering 24/7 availability, technical security expertise, regular updates, and cost savings.

Peace of Mind

With an MSSP, you don’t have to worry about constantly upgrading architecture, rolling out patches, and maintaining servers. Security operation centers give you peace of mind that your assets’ protection is in the hands of professionals.

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Core Areas MSSPs Can Help Your Business

Although managed security services providers offer a wide range of solutions, here are some areas that, when focused on, can greatly improve your organization’s security posture:

Security Assessments and Monitoring

These include intrusion detection and incident response services against all internal and external threats. MSSPs ensure the safety and security of every device existing within and connecting to an organization's network. The rapid response services include forensic analysis and incident investigation to mitigate data breaches.

Managed Firewall and Virtual Private Networks (VPN)

Security experts monitor the network’s firewall and respond 24/7 to threats. MSSPs ensure a robust private VPN configuration to protect your organization’s data and core business activities, reducing the attack surface. 

Endpoint Protection and Vulnerability Scanning

A managed security service provider conducts penetration testing against all endpoints to ensure that an organization’s data is protected across all endpoints, such as mobiles, laptops, and other devices. This level of threat management ensures effective cyber threat deterrence. 

Vulnerability scanning involves identifying potential loopholes via pinpointing practices prone to cyber risks, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements, and strengthening information security measures.

Proactive Threat Detection and Response

The use of tools such as intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS), endpoint detection and response solutions (EDR), and managed detection and response (MDR) allows MSSP cybersecurity to fish out potential threats, bad actors, and outdated technologies, increasing infrastructure vulnerability.

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Choosing the Right Managed Security Service Provider: What to Consider

Choosing an MSSP for your organization is an impactful decision that will shape the way you do business. Therefore, it’s important that you consider the following aspects before selecting one:

• Reputation and Expertise: One of the first things to look for when choosing a managed security services provider is its reputation. Word of mouth from reliable customers often helps determine their past experiences and expertise in handling tasks.
• Range of Services: Assess your security requirements to determine the level of services you require. Then, match your needs to the services the MSSP offers. To future-proof your decision, choose an MSSP that provides a wide range of services.
• Scalability: Growing corporations continuously need to scale their services. You’ll need an MSSP that can scale its cybersecurity services as your business grows.
• Transparent Pricing: Always check prices before making a decision. Take into account all the asterisks, and carefully read the agreement to ensure you’re only paying for what you want and nothing extra.
• MSSPs vs. Internal Cybersecurity Teams: While your internal cybersecurity team might not be fully equipped to handle the challenges posed by ever-evolving cyber threats, they might still provide a support base. However, in most instances, it costs a ridiculous amount to support, house, and maintain internal teams. MSSPs use the tenancy capacity of their technologies to provide low-cost, state-of-the-art security, bringing down ownership costs and overhead.
  

Stay Protected Against Internal and External Threats with Integr8

Find an invaluable partner in Integr8 when you choose us as your managed security services provider. With our years of experience across the verticals expertise, we have protected clients across different industries from cyber threats. Our highly skilled team of professionals is always here to listen to your queries, assess your requirements, and make tailored recommendations.

Have you taken a security assessment yet? Talk to us today!