Managing your cyberdefense internally can be costly and ineffective if resources are not properly allocated. By outsourcing to a third-party team of experts, you can increase the efficacy of your architecture implementation, risk mitigation, incident management, and regulatory compliance. Best of all, MSSPs are often much more resource-efficient.
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Get the Most out of Managed IT Security Services
In a nutshell, leveraging managed cyber security services means targeting individual protections and suites of controls that are tailored to your IT environment and the risks pertinent to it.
The biggest benefits of managed security services you should capitalize on are:
- Customized security architecture and infrastructure
- Robust and efficient risk mitigation and management
- Incident response and holistic incident management
- Streamlined cybersecurity governance and oversight
Working with a quality managed security service provider (MSSP)—like RSI Security—allows you to implement all of these crucial areas of cyberdefense more effectively and efficiently.
Install and Manage Security Architecture
Managed cyber security services arguably begin with architecture implementation. A third-party partner will help your organization strategize, deploy, and manage specific controls it needs to monitor and control sensitive assets and systems. These include the actual hardware, like network devices, along with protective software like firewalls and web or content filters.
MSSPs can also help you implement infrastructural protections, programs like Identity and Access Management (IAM) and broader awareness training, that underlie your systems.
To get the most value out of your engagement, you can incorporate concerns like regulatory compliance into your deployment. If you know that you currently manage sensitive data, or may expand into a niche that does, you can set yourself up for success by accounting for it proactively.
Identify, Analyze, and Mitigate Security Risks
One of the primary purposes of cybersecurity deployment is identifying and mitigating risk. That happens through carefully scanning for threats or for attackers and events that could impact your assets, users, or systems. It also requires monitoring for vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and gaps in your cyberdefenses. Third-party service providers are uniquely well-positioned for threat and vulnerability management because they can provide unbiased assessments of your security practices and draw on industry-leading expertise and threat intelligence to optimize protection.
At a base level, threat and vulnerability management functions passively in the background.
But the best approaches to risk mitigation are proactive rather than reactive. A managed detection and response (MDR) program treats threats and vulnerabilities like incidents proper, setting analysis and response into action immediately while covering compliance needs.
Defend Against and Recover from Incidents
No matter how well you mitigate risks, you may still experience attacks or other incidents. You need to account for these with an incident response protocol, which an MSSP can optimize.
The best providers will help you implement comprehensive incident management, including:
- Continuous, ideally automated incident monitoring and identification systems
- Immediate incident logging for short- and long-term analysis and reporting
- Analysis of incidents, referencing threat intelligence, and accurate diagnosis
- Assignment of appropriate response practices, with escalation as necessary
- Complete resolution and closure of the incident once all traces are eradicated
- Ongoing business continuity, compliance, and customer satisfaction assurance
It’s crucial for incident response to take a dynamic and holistic approach rather than a purely reactive and finite one. Incident management doesn’t end when an incident has been closed; instead, you need to account for potential longer-term effects on your reputation and security.
Outsource Your Overall Security Governance
Finally, you can make use of managed IT security services on an as-needed advisory basis. A third-party security program advisor is brought in to assess and improve your security systems, providing strategic guidance on what changes to prioritize and implement (and why and how).
At the highest level, MSSPs can cover the functionality of a chief information and security officer (CISO). CISOs occupy space in the c-suite of an organization, answering directly to the CEO, and are responsible for all elements of security strategy, deployment, and maintenance. They are essential for mature security deployment, but many smaller or developing organizations lack the necessary resources to recruit and retain top security talent for the role. This is where a virtual CISO (vCISO) comes in, providing the same functionality at a fraction of the cost.
Reap the Benefits of Managed Security Services
Maximizing your MSSP engagement means looking for a provider who makes your security both easier and more effective. Maybe the most critical part of making sure you get the most out of managed cyber security services is finding a partner who shares your organization’s values.
RSI Security is committed to service above all else. We commit to the promises we make to our partners, going above and beyond to deliver security assurance to your staff and clientele.
To learn more about the benefits of managed security services, contact RSI Security today or check out our one-minute white paper on managed security service providers.
Let RSI Security relieve the burden of security monitoring off your team today. Request a FREE Consultation!