Regardless of size or industry, organizations can benefit from IT infrastructure management services. A managed security services provider (MSSP) can help optimize your organization’s cyberdefenses to provide a secure IT environment that supports operations and business growth while reclaiming team bandwidth. Read on to learn more.
Applications of IT Infrastructure Management Services
Outsourcing one or more elements of IT infrastructure security can help your organization focus on business growth without worrying about cybersecurity concerns. Expert IT infrastructure management services provide greater confidence in mitigating risks and preventing attacks.
Categories of essential IT infrastructure management services provided by an MSSP include:
- Architecture implementation
- Managed security
With the help of an experienced MSSP, your organization can implement and maintain robust cybersecurity infrastructure and, resultantly, optimal return on investment (ROI).
What is IT Infrastructure?
IT infrastructure refers to all the components that are essential to the proper functioning of your IT operations. Examples of components that require IT infrastructure management services include:
- Hardware – Devices used to support system functioning, including:
- Workstations (e.g., desktops)
- Laptops and other mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, tablets)
- Physical servers
- Hard drives
- Printers
- Software – Programs running on your organization’s operating systems, including:
- Applications (e.g., web, mobile)
- Endpoint protection (e.g., antivirus, antimalware)
- Operating systems – Platforms on which devices function (e.g., Windows, macOS, Linux)
- IoT devices – Internet of things (IoT) devices are a recent addition to IT infrastructure, comprising programmable devices connected to the Internet that traditionally haven’t been. IoT devices include:
- Sensors
- Fire alarms
- Security systems
- Thermostats
- Cloud infrastructure – Devices or solutions running on the cloud, including:
- Cloud storage (whether private or public)
- Software-as-a-Service (Saas)
- Infrastructure-as-a-Service (Iaas)
- Network and telecommunication connectivity assets – Devices that connect other components of your IT infrastructure, including:
- Phone lines
- Fiber optic cables
- Routers and switches
- Network gateways
Managing all aspects of IT infrastructure security can consume significant resources, especially for growing organizations. Outsourcing one or more IT infrastructure management services to an MSSP providing expert capabilities ensures proper execution and reclaims bandwidth compared to the drain of internal efforts. With more bandwidth, your internal cybersecurity team can be reprioritized with more impactful projects.
Expert MSSP service delivery and more bandwidth both increase ROI.
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Why Choose an MSSP to Manage IT Infrastructure?
Choosing to outsource IT infrastructure management services to an MSSP depends on several factors. When deciding whether to manage infrastructure via outsourced services, organizations must consider::
- Need for external management – Outsourcing infrastructure management is helpful if:
- It will save time, allowing your internal IT team to focus on other cybersecurity needs.
- Tasks are more easily managed externally by an MSSP.
- Regulatory compliance requirements – You may need the help of an MSSP if you must comply with comprehensive compliance frameworks, some of which include:
- Legal MSSP requirements – Certain compliance frameworks require organizations to outsource MSSP services, such as:
- Data Protection Officer (DPO) per the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements
- Limited internal IT capacity – Outsourcing IT infrastructure management to an MSSP is beneficial if your internal IT capacity is limited based on:
- Staffing shortages
- Limited technical expertise for specific infrastructure management needs
- Budget constraints for full-time IT staff
- Necessary expertise – MSSPs provide thorough cybersecurity expertise and up-to-date threat intelligence. If your organization is navigating an unfamiliar situation (e.g., data breach), having experience on your side is crucial.
Outsourcing IT infrastructure management services will help increase the overall effectiveness of cybersecurity protection, especially when working with a leading MSSP.
IT Architecture Implementation
Managing the security of your IT infrastructure can prove challenging if there are multiple components, each requiring different cybersecurity protections.
An MSSP can help establish an infrastructure management system that will improve your cybersecurity goals by:
- Managing risks to IT environments
- Improving the posture of your cyber defenses
- Streamlining compliance
- Supporting business growth
- Securing IT environments for personnel to bring their own devices
- Enhancing the reliability and performance of your systems
Outsourcing IT infrastructure management services to an experienced MSSP will help minimize risks to your IT architecture stemming from complex environments and heterogeneous efforts.
Cloud Infrastructure Management Services
Managing cloud infrastructure involves protecting sensitive information stored on the cloud, whether at rest or in transit. Cloud infrastructure security management leverages strategies including:
- Procedures to protect access to cloud infrastructure
- Policies that align operational processes with regulatory and compliance recommendations
- Technologies to detect and monitor threats to cloud environments
- Best practices for ongoing cloud security
Examples of cloud infrastructure management services include:
- Identity and access management to control access to cloud environments
- Assessment and remediation of cloud security vulnerabilities
- Web application security
- Analytics-driven monitoring of cloud security threats
- AWS hosting
By outsourcing cloud infrastructure management services to an MSSP, your organization will benefit from:
- Streamlined cloud security, optimized across all cloud-based environments and services
- Alignment of cloud security with business objectives
- Integration of cloud security with ongoing compliance efforts
Managing the security of all your cloud-based IT assets can be challenging. A cloud security provider will help implement and maintain all environments and services for robust cloud infrastructure management.
Endpoint Security Services
Endpoints are computing devices that communicate with and by using their connected network (e.g., desktops, laptops, servers). Therefore, endpoint security management services protect all endpoints used within your organization’s IT infrastructure. Most organizations manage anywhere from hundreds to tens of thousands of endpoints, making their security especially challenging. Outsourcing endpoint security to an MSSP helps secure all your IT infrastructure endpoints under one interface.
An MSSP can help provide IT infrastructure management services for endpoint security, some of which include:
- Endpoint detection and response (EDR) – Unlike security information and event management (SIEM) tools that detect threat risks across your organization’s IT infrastructure, EDR tools detect threats to all endpoints.
- Antivirus and antimalware – Antivirus software is a commonly used endpoint security tool for personal or shared computers. However, antivirus and antimalware tools alone are insufficient for fully protecting organizations due to:
- Threat detection based on known threat signatures, which limits recognition and identification of new, sophisticated threats
- Limited scalability to enterprise needs (e.g., endpoint protection for entire IT infrastructure)
- Endpoint protection platforms (EPP) – Unlike antivirus or antimalware, EPP tools are scalable to enterprise-level needs. Specifically, EPP solutions leverage machine learning capabilities to improve threat detection and mitigation mechanisms.
- Firewalls – When malware intrudes network firewalls, device firewalls provide excellent endpoint solutions to protect your organization’s IT infrastructure from threats. Although firewalls are pre-installed on most devices, managed device endpoint security prevents undetected malware intrusion.
Managed endpoint security services will help secure all endpoints within your IT infrastructure. An MSSP with experience in IT architecture implementation can help your organization manage endpoint security.
Network Architecture Management Services
Network architecture refers to the organization of computers and the distribution of tasks within those connected computers. IT infrastructure management services for networks can help secure essential network components, some of which include:
- Routers – As the point of connection between networks and devices, routers are essential to network architecture because they:
- Enable multiple devices to connect to the Internet
- Analyze other network data to determine the best route for data transmission
- Provide options for firewalls or virtual private networks (VPNs)
- Switches – Connecting devices on a network, switches facilitate networked communication and are classified as:
- On-premise switches, which allow internal configuration, maintenance, and monitoring
- Cloud-based switches, which are managed, updated, and hosted by a cloud provider
- Wireless access points – Devices can connect to the Internet without a cable via wireless access points. Within IT architecture, wireless access points can:
- Increase the number of devices connected to the Internet
- Expand bandwidth for Internet connections
- Track connected devices for security assessments
Examples of IT infrastructure management services for network security include:
- Vulnerability scans to identify cybersecurity gaps that malicious network traffic may exploit
- Management of threats and vulnerabilities in network security
- Malware detection and prevention to mitigate malware intrusion
- Encryption of data transmission over networks to minimize breach risks
- Identity and access management to control access to critical networks
A network architecture management provider can help strengthen the security of your organization’s network components.
Managed Security Services
Besides architecture implementation services, an MSSP can also provide IT infrastructure management services to secure IT operations. MSSPs are experts in managed security service offerings and will relieve your organization of the burden of securing IT infrastructure.
Identity and Access Management Services
User access management helps secure your IT infrastructure by preventing unauthorized access to assets (e.g., systems, applications, networks). Outsourcing identity and access management (IAM) responsibilities provides several benefits, some of which include:
- Improved business efficiency – Managed IAM services can help streamline business operations by:
- Defining clear roles and responsibilities for personnel user access protocols
- Reducing the burden of privileged access management for internal IT teams
- Simplifying administrator management for increased security
- Simplified access procedures – Users will have an improved access experience with managed IAM services, enabling:
- Automated access provisions
- Reduced administrator time spent granting access and approvals
- Reduction of cybersecurity risks – Managed IAM services also minimize the risk of data breaches by:
- Creating robust access controls to separate users, roles, and access provisions
- Providing customer identity management to prevent fraud and unauthorized access
Specific IT infrastructure management services for identity and access management that your organization can benefit from include:
- Access control security management that helps:
- Secure passwords and logins
- Physical logins to devices and servers
- Integration of technologies to strengthen IAM security
- Multifactor authentication (MFA), based on widely applicable guidelines and controls
- Management of cloud user access to secure cloud environments
Managed identity and access management services can help secure access to your organization’s critical assets by governing who can access them, how, and when.
Managed Detection and Response Services
The increased sophistication of threats calls for IT infrastructure management services that rapidly detect, identify, and respond to cybersecurity incidents. Managed detection and response (MDR) services provide proactive security to safeguard your assets against threat risks.
MDR services aim to identify and respond to threats, preventing any damage to your IT infrastructure. Benefits of MDR services include:
- External expertise to complement your organization’s internal threat and vulnerability management
- Validation of detected threats by refining mechanisms to weed out false positives
- Streamlined compliance with common cybersecurity frameworks
Examples of managed detection and response solutions include:
- Threat detection – MDR providers leverage data analytics to sort through large, disparate datasets to:
- Identify threat risks and initiate mitigation efforts
- Collect and analyze forensic data
- Respond to vulnerabilities in real-time
- Validate threats and eliminate false positives
- Recognize threats that may go undetected by antimalware tools
- Incident response – If unaddressed, threat incidents can escalate and cause further damage to your organization’s IT infrastructure. Managed incident response services can help:
- Restore services and processes to operational capacity
- Mitigate vulnerabilities exploited by threat actors
- Reduce the risks of future threat occurrences
- Increase preparedness for future breach attempts
- Asset monitoring – Monitoring environments of assets within your IT infrastructure helps mitigate threat attacks. Specifically, managed asset monitoring helps organizations:
- Secure assets appropriately
- Prioritize asset patching
- Determine the asset risk level
With the help of a managed detection and response (MDR) provider, you can achieve the best ROI on threat detection, incident response, and asset monitoring. Outsourcing IT infrastructure management services through an MDR provider also helps secure your IT infrastructure.
Incident Management Services
When threat attacks occur, your organization is tasked with responding to the incident while maintaining business operations. An MSSP can take the burden of incident response away from you with incident management services.
MSSPs, such as RSI Security, provide incident management via six steps, including:
- Identifying incidents or breaches using technology and expertise
- Auditing critical systems to log and track incident data
- Investigating the incident to determine the root cause
- Assigning and escalating responsibilities to remediate the incident
- Resolving the incident and implementing preventative measures
- Reaching out to impacted customers to address satisfaction needs
Robust incident management will help your organization respond appropriately to threat attacks and prevent further damage to critical assets.
Optimize Your Cybersecurity ROI with Managed IT Security
IT infrastructures are complex, consisting of various components that require protection to minimize threat risks. Outsourcing IT infrastructure management services allows cybersecurity experts to handle aspects of IT infrastructure security, optimizing your cybersecurity ROI.
RSI is a leading MSSP that will provide the best ROI on cybersecurity for your infrastructure, regardless of complexity. Contact RSI Security today to learn more!
