Many organizations lack the resources to maintain a 24/7 security operations center in-house. Partnering with an MSSP gives them access to a mature SOC at a fraction of the cost.
Prevention
To avoid the costs and downtime that come with a security incident, it is vital to prevent cyber attacks before they happen. MSSPs can help businesses avoid cyber attacks by monitoring their networks around the clock and responding quickly to any detected threat. This allows businesses to keep their systems running while protecting their valuable data.
Nowadays, several managed network security services can offer businesses various prevention services, such as backup and disaster recovery services and third-party risk management (assessing the cyber security risks of vendors and partners that have access to an organization’s IT infrastructure). Many MSSPs also provide security training for employees to increase awareness of the dangers of cyber attacks.
MSSPs can also provide various other services, such as forensic reports, which are more in-depth assessments of an organization’s IT infrastructure and identify potential problems. These reports can help businesses better understand the current state of their security posture and decide how to improve it.
Some providers can offer all the above services, while others focus on specific areas or industries. For instance, some MSSPs specialize in providing services to businesses that need to comply with regulatory standards like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) or the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
Monitoring
Managing a business’s network security requires the expertise and resources to look for new vulnerabilities, threats, and attacks constantly. A successful cyber security strategy is an evolving process that must be updated with the latest tools and technologies to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. This is why it’s so important to work with an MSSP that stays abreast of all the latest technology trends and understands the most current security threats in order to protect your company effectively.
A good MSSP will conduct a detailed analysis of your company’s digital assets and existing security tools, fill in gaps where necessary, and recommend the best tools to protect your business from the most current and advanced cyber attacks. This includes everything from security information and event management (SIEM), unified threat management (UTM), antivirus suites, malware scanning and detection, two-factor authentication, and more.
A top-notch MSSP will also provide activity reports to inform you of their ongoing efforts on your behalf and give you peace of mind, knowing that your business’s sensitive data and systems are well protected. This reporting is essential to the relationship between an MSSP and a customer as it creates a clear line of communication and clarifies expectations and responsibilities.
Detection
Cyber threats constantly evolve and change, so detecting them as soon as possible is essential. MSSPs can use advanced tools and technology to detect and respond to threats quickly and efficiently. They also know how to prioritize certain risks so companies can focus their resources on the most serious ones first.
One of the most important things a business can do is communicate frequently with its MSSP. This will help ensure that both parties agree about the organization’s security posture and allow them to address any issues. Additionally, it’s a good idea to have documentation of all communications so that the company has a record of what was discussed and any actions taken.
Many security tools and solutions are available, so working with a provider that can provide the latest technologies is crucial. MSSPs have a team of experts who constantly review the latest IT trends and cyber attacks to develop new solutions for their clients. They can also provide forensic reports to identify potential risks and prevent them from becoming full-blown incidents.
Response
When a threat is detected, an MSSP will respond to it in several ways. Some solutions, such as firewalls and antivirus software, act as technological defenses to protect against attacks by forming barriers between your secure internal devices and the untrusted external world, while other tools like network security monitoring and endpoint detection and response (EDR) identify and remove malicious code when it’s discovered on your systems.
Most MSSPs also offer penetration testing services that simulate attacks to see how well your cyber security measures are holding up, and they may provide a host of other products and technologies to help you strengthen your cyber defenses, such as mobile security, network segmentation, and compliance monitoring. Some providers focus on assisting clients in specific industries, such as regulated industries subject to compliance requirements such as HIPAA or the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.
Most importantly, an MSSP will manage and improve your cyber security measures to ensure they are protecting you as effectively as possible. To do this, they will likely deploy various automated and orchestrated tools to reduce alert fatigue, perform alert triage and automate ticketing and responding, conserve human efforts for more high-value activities, and respond and resolve threats faster.
