Mounting cybersecurity challenges are driving strong demand for managed security services.
It’s a perfect storm for IT security professionals. The combination of rapidly expanding attack surfaces, a worsening skills shortage and an array of increasingly sophisticated threats is making cybersecurity a nearly impossible challenge. Seventy percent of organizations report they do not have enough qualified cybersecurity employees to protect their critical IT assets effectively, according to the 2022 (ISC)²
Cybersecurity Workforce Study.
“There was a point in time where organizations could get away with doing ‘good-enough’ security, but those days are gone,” said Candy Alexander, Board President, Information Systems Security Association International. “Relentless, AI-fueled cyberattacks and expanding attack surfaces are a sampling of new problems that are going to overwhelm and overrun underinvested cybersecurity programs. Executive management needs to recognize that their business goals are only possible if cybersecurity successfully enables their business to operate in today’s threat environment day after day.”
Most organizations are finding there just isn’t enough talent available to address the expanding threat landscape. According to the (ISC)² report, there is a global shortage of 3.4 million cybersecurity professionals. That is leading more organizations to partner with managed security services providers (MSSPs) to help them deal with elevated threat levels.
Access to Expertise
MSSPs can fill in the gaps for companies that have been unable to hire, train and keep qualified cybersecurity pros on staff. The global managed security services market is expected to grow from $25.4 billion in 2022 to $89.97 billion by 2033, according to a new report from Persistence Market Research.
MSSPs provide easy access to a broad range of outsourced expertise, tools and services that might otherwise be beyond an organization’s reach. Leading providers have a deep bench of security specialists with certified expertise across a broad range of security products from a variety of vendors.
Providers typically offer a number of basic but important security services such as remote monitoring, vulnerability scanning, patch management and firewall maintenance. However, a comprehensive managed security program should include much more than that. When evaluating potential partners, organizations should look for an MSSP that offers some of the following advanced services:
- Proactive threat hunting. Increased automation and powerful analytics enable organizations to actively hunt for threats, using threat intelligence to find and disrupt advanced persistent threats and zero-day vulnerabilities in advance of an attack.
- Cloud security. Cloud access security brokers, access controls, continuous monitoring and data encryption help protect data and applications hosted in cloud environments.
- Access controls. Identity and access management solutions, multifactor authentication and policy management are among the techniques for ensuring secure access to resources.
- Security automation. Automated security systems such as security orchestration, automation and response (SOAR) and security information and event management (SIEM) platforms not only detect threats faster but can predict attacks based on risk modeling.
- Automated incident response. When a threat is detected, AI can initiate responses such as alerting security personnel or quarantining affected systems.
- Security training. Training programs can teach employees how to navigate the Internet safely, avoid risky websites, and recognize potential threats such as phishing emails, malicious downloads or compromised websites.
- Executive guidance. Virtual chief information security officers (vCISOs) provide executive-level oversight of cybersecurity practices. They can assess an organization’s unique security needs, create tailored security strategies and ensure compliance with relevant regulations and industry standards.
Why Certifications Matter
In addition to evaluating the services an MSSP offers, organizations must also evaluate their staff. MSSP staff should have expertise in a broad range of security disciplines, and be engaged in ongoing training programs to keep up with new and evolving threats. Look for a provider with industry-recognized certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA).
Certifications show that the provider’s staff members possess a certain level of expertise and competence, but they also demonstrate that the provider adheres to industry-recognized best practices and standards. Because maintaining certifications requires ongoing education and training, certifications also provide a good indication of the provider’s commitment to continuous improvement and remaining on the leading edge of cybersecurity practices.
Facilities are also an important indicator of a provider’s capabilities. Leading MSSPs usually have multiple security operations centers (SOCs) running around the clock, staffed with skilled security analysts who continuously monitor their customers’ network traffic, system logs and security alerts. SOC analysts have a number of advanced security tools at their disposal, including SOAR, SIEM systems, and extended detection and response (XDR) systems.
Limited resources, staff and budget make it difficult for organizations to stay on top of continually evolving threats. Managed security services providers can help by offering access to the skills, insight and toolsets at a fraction of the cost of hiring full-time staff.
“Organizations have difficulty managing and monitoring the constant flow of cyber threats due to a lack of security expertise and disorganization of the tools they’ve already acquired,” said Martha Vazquez, a senior research analyst for infrastructure services at IDC. “Managed security service providers … are finding new and unique ways to service organizations in a way that arms them with the necessary knowledge, detection and response services, as well as the scalability needed to protect their entire business from the always-evolving cyber threat landscape.”
