With rising cybersecurity concerns across various industries, over 90% of organizations have increased their IT security budgets. The complex and constantly evolving nature of cyberthreats calls for robust security infrastructure. However, many organizations lack the internal tools, technology, or skill sets to achieve optimal cybersecurity, thus need to rely on outsourced help.
You might be wondering: how much does it cost to outsource IT security services? Read on to learn more about the costs and other considerations.
How Much Will Outsourced IT Services Cost for Your Company?
In most cases, the pricing for managed security service suites can range from $75 to $250 per user, per month. However, there are many factors that can impact the price point for you. Three of the most pressing considerations for the costs of outsourcing your IT security services are:
- Organization size
- Data storage needs
- Business functions
Pricing for individual services differs widely, depending on various factors. This blog will focus primarily on suites from managed security services providers (MSSP).
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Outsourced Security Costs Based on Organization Size
In asking how much does it cost to outsource IT security services, it’s critical to consider the size of your organization. This includes both the number of users serviced and the amount of devices requiring IT security. The number of users and devices per user could also define your computing and cloud storage needs, collectively influencing the IT security services outsourced.
In particular, organization size can determine where you land on two common pricing models:
- Pricing based on the number of users – The pricing of IT security services here relies on the number of users connected to and using your organization’s digital assets. Pricing per user is a suitable model if the number of users working across several devices each day is relatively consistent. The downside to this model is that it can prove challenging to monitor user activity across multiple devices as an organization’s workforce expands.
- Pricing based on the number of devices – A simpler and more efficient model, pricing per number of devices connected to your organization’s digital assets maintains flexibility because of the consistency of controlled or monitored devices. It’s much easier to track user activity and interaction with cloud servers, or identify potential vulnerabilities in your organization’s internal IT architecture. This model accommodates growth more readily.
Outsourced Security Costs Based on Cloud Storage Needs
Another critical consideration when determining how much does it cost to outsource IT security services is the level of protection you need for cloud storage. This factor can vary widely, based on the nature of your cloud computing infrastructure and the type of data it primarily stores.
The pricing of outsourced cloud security services depends on the following factors:
- Flexibility of cloud services – Virtual cloud management and security solutions can streamline processes and foster collaboration across individuals and teams in your organization. A flexible cloud security service helps most when your organization is expanding, as pricing may differ widely between off-site virtual servers or on-site physical servers for managing security and integrity for all data stored in the cloud.
- Automation of cloud security – In place of recruiting and retaining a staff security analyst, automated cloud security can improve threat detection processes through:
- Reducing and filtering out false positives from vulnerability scans
- Automatically triggering threat alerts or incident response protocols
- Regulatory compliance – One of the most important regulations governing outsourced IT services is SOC 2 compliance, overseen by the AICPA. SOC 2 reporting guides the processes and interactions between organizations that exchange end-user data. If your organization plans to outsource any cloud security services, you may need to conduct a SOC 2 compliance and audit report, and doing so may impact overall security spend.
Note: Automated processes for outsourced cloud security may be priced differently than outsourced managed cloud security, which depends on a staffed external team.
Outsourced Security Costs Based on Core Business Functions
Outsourcing IT security services requires your organization to understand its operational needs to minimize interruptions to core business functions. The scope of what this requires will depend directly on what those functions comprise and what stakeholders are impacted by a momentary lapse in uptime—not to mention how they will be impacted. In determining how much does it cost to outsource IT security services, there are several operational aspects to review:
- Which files, assets, users, and systems are most critical to business functions
- What potential sources of vulnerabilities and breach risks exist, and where
- Which critical operations to recover first if a breach occurred, why, and how
- Who would be impacted by a breach—third parties to which you’re connected
Understanding these operational aspects will help you determine the priority for spending on outsourced IT security services. To address them appropriately, consider the following factors:
Outsourced IT Services Costs to Secure Critical Operational Files
The NIST recommends backing up files that hold the most value to your organization’s business operations, including event logs, user files, apps and app data, and data related to clientele. The total cost of outsourced services be commensurate with the volume, diversity, and complexity of these files. Backing them up is a necessary precaution. Cost rises alongside critical importance to your business’s ability to continue functioning in the short term and sustain long-term growth.
Per NIST, it’s also critical to assess recovery time and recovery point objectives (RTO and RPO) for each class of operational files. RTO refers to the time required to recover critical files before a loss of business functioning, while RPO refers to the maximum amount of data loss allowed.
Also, the amount of storage taken up by each class of critical operational files may impact your need for cloud security services, another potential layer of how your MSSP determines cost.
Outsourced IT Services Costs for Threat and Vulnerability Management
A robust threat and vulnerability management program identifies vulnerabilities and breach points in IT infrastructure before they become full-blown events warranting incident response and management. Implementing comprehensive vulnerability management with the help of an MSSP can minimize the overall costs of outsourced security. The ideal program includes:
- Vulnerability and threat assessments, informing risk rating and mitigation
- Cloud, network, web application, and other tailored security assessments
- Gathering and operationalization of internal and external threat intelligence
- Regular patch availability reports and management tailored to your needs
The pricing of these services could range from thousands to tens of thousands per month. As noted above, it will depend on the size of your organization and the suite of services conferred. Always ask your MSSP for an itemized breakdown relevant to your organization’s needs.
Outsourced IT Services Costs for Third-Party Risk Management
The costs of outsourcing security services also depend on applications and data belonging to third-party vendors, such as SaaS providers, or businesses that rely on your IT infrastructure.
Recent cyberattacks have shed light on the disruption in cybersecurity supply chains involving organizations working with third-party vendors. If your organization depends on a wide network of strategic partners, you should account for vulnerabilities and threats across all third parties.
Outsourcing IT security services with adequate protection for all your associated third-party vendors may be priced differently than protection for just your organization, but the costs likely outweigh the potential risks. Inquire about your MSSP’s third-party risk management services.
Learn More about Outsourced Security Benefits and Pricing
The process of outsourcing IT security services might seem complicated given the various options and compliance regulations. However, working with a trusted and experienced MSSP can help your organization determine the specific needs it most needs to address, and how. So, to return to our opening question: how much does it cost to outsource IT security services? It depends. For a consultation to determine your exact price point, contact RSI Security today!
