What Is An MSSP?
Overview:
Possibly the most misunderstood acronym in information security, MSSP stands for Managed Security Service Provider – a firm that provides outsourced security services to its customers. Sounds fairly straightforward, right? All too often it’s not. In fact, there can be major differences between one MSSP and another – something that is usually only discovered by companies after they sign up with a provider and start testing their systems.
Importance:
Before diving into what an MSSP does, it’s important to understand the growing need behind them. A common trend over the last few years has seen large organizations embracing cloud-based or outsourced IT infrastructures rather than maintaining all of their own equipment on site. This kind of move offers many benefits to these enterprises – it cuts down the amount of physical space and power needed for hardware, as well as removing the need to hire full-time IT professionals at each location. The flip side is that these companies now have to rely on third parties for their vital information security – something many haven’t made provision for in their budgets.
Major Factors:
This situation has led to a huge opportunity for MSSPs. If you’re thinking about outsourcing your company’s IT infrastructure, there are three major factors you should consider:
1) Security – it goes without saying that an outsourced system must be every bit as secure and reliable as its internally hosted counterpart
2) Expertise – having a team of experts looking after your network 24/7 offers fantastic peace of mind – but only if they know what they’re doing.
3) Scalability – you can’t expect an MSSP to begin providing high-level services overnight. Before signing on with a firm, it’s important to check that their team has the resources and experience needed to manage your network before it becomes popular or faces some unforeseen incident.
As most companies are finding out, these three factors continue to evolve after you select your MSSPs – especially security. To ensure that your data is safe day in and day out, companies must be ready to adapt their processes as threats change over time. While this might not be challenging for smaller businesses who have dedicated IT teams on site, it certainly adds another unanticipated expense for larger organizations who would rather pass those costs on to their MSSP.
Services:
The vast majority of managed security service providers offer the same range of services – 24/7 monitoring, vulnerability testing and analysis, incident response, security training and more. The main differences between these firms come down to their individual service offerings (which are usually decided by what technologies they use) as well as their prices.
Price is not always an indicator of quality, as some companies charge significantly higher fees for the exact same services as their competitors. In fact, it’s become so commonplace for MSSPs to have similar pricing plans that customers have been forced to look elsewhere when selecting a provider – customer service being one area where they can often find a significant advantage over other options on the market.
Since outsourcing your company’s security system can be a confusing process, it would do well for companies to take the time to research their options before making any decisions about which firm they want to work with. This means familiarizing themselves with different MSSPs rather than only looking at the bottom line price. The last thing you want is to sign on with an MSSP that offers lackluster customer service or takes weeks or months to resolve your network issues – both of these factors could cost you money in lost sales and reduce productivity.
If you’re still unsure about what kind of services are offered by managed security service providers , feel free to check out our site, Real Time Security Pros . We’ll provide you with all the information you need so that when it comes time to choose your security system, you’ll have no problem making an informed decision that will keep your company’s data safe for years to come.
Advantages:
• Protection against malicious attack
• Faster detection of intrusion attempts
• Detailed reports about the network usage
• Reduced costs for operations management
Disadvantages:
• May not be suitable for small businesses without IT staff or complex networks
• Higher cost than in-house systems, especially if your company does not have dedicated IT staff. – MSSPs are organizations that provide managed security services to other companies, allowing them to outsource their vital information technology infrastructure needs. By doing so, their clients do not have to hire full time employees at each location and can instead rely on third parties for their vital information security . The flip side is that these companies now have to rely on third parties for their information security – something many haven’t made provision for in their budgets.
Key difference:
Although the majority of MSSPs tend to offer similar services, there are some key differences between these providers.
For example:
Some MSSPs will use a ‘best of breed’ system and require their clients to purchase and install all security products themselves. Others, however , will provide everything needed for a full managed security solution . These firms may even help their clients set up the proper configuration and usage policies. o Another difference is in how quickly they can respond to an incident or emergency situation.
There might be MSSPs that specialize in providing monitoring around the clock so they can answer your calls immediately while others may not be able to do so. It would behoove companies to research this before signing on with any specific provider so they know how important this factor is to them. o The last difference to consider is their pricing plans. Generally speaking, most MSSPs will offer a similar range of services and packages at approximately the same price point. Some firms, however , may have significantly higher or lower prices due to factors such as job role, size of the client’s company and other market conditions. All things being equal, though, it would be wise for any company considering outsourcing its security needs to select an MSSP that offers all of the features they need at a reasonable rate.
Conclusion:
The managed security services market is a quickly growing one, as information security becomes increasingly important to companies of all sizes. With the right provider, your business can enjoy a significant advantage over other options on the market. For more information on what managed services are and how they benefit businesses , please feel free to visit our website at Real Time Security Pros . We offer an abundance of useful articles that should provide you with all the information you need.
MSSPs are organizations that provide managed security services to other companies, allowing them to outsource their vital information technology infrastructure needs. By doing so, their clients do not have to hire full time employees at each location and can instead rely on third parties for their vital information security .