- Haar Cloud
- business, cyber security, managed security services
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Cyber security attacks have been on the rise this year and are expected to keep on rising even more in the years to come. No wonder that on a global level, cyber security is a top priority in 2023, according to this Google Cloud report.
So, no matter the size of your business, you need to take steps now to protect it from future cyber attacks. And one way you can do that is by choosing managed cyber security services.
Managed cyber security services can help protect your business data and systems from cyber attacks, and at the same time, improve your overall security strategy.
So, if you are a CTO, CIO, IT Manager, CEO, Business Owner or someone who manages security risk in your business, this article is for you. We will explain what type of services a managed cyber security provider offers and how these can help your business prevent and mitigate cyber threats.
What are managed cyber security services? And how can these help your business?
Just like with Managed IT Services, a Managed Cyber Security Services Provider (or MCSSP) is a third-party company or team responsible for your entire security environment. So, you will be outsourcing your information security operations and responsibilities to them.
In most cases, it will work like this – the MCCSP manages the implementation of your security tools, and at the same time, proactively monitors your business’ network and overall infrastructure. In other words, they will be your security partner, being responsible for the day-to-day management of your cyber security environment.
Managed cyber security services can play a crucial role in protecting your business from cyber threats. You will have access to advanced security solutions, tools, and expertise that can help your business mitigate all types of cyber attacks.
More than this, choosing to work with an MCSSP can help you reduce costs related to cyber security and stay on top of new risks and threats due to the specialized knowledge of their teams and access to the latest security tools.
The benefits of managed security services
There are many reasons why you should opt for managed cyber security services, but the following are some of the 10 most important benefits for your business, in our opinion, of course.
Dedicated experts
Behind every MCSSP there is a team of cyber security professionals with extensive experience and knowledge in the field. They undertake regular training, staying updated with the latest threats and best practices to ensure your business is protected against the latest cyber risks.
As they provide an external view, they are also able to objectively analyze your cyber security processes and identify any weaknesses in your infrastructure and improvement opportunities you may need.
24/7 Proactive monitoring
Managed Cyber Security Services Provider will constantly monitor your networks, systems, and applications to identify and mitigate potential threats in real-time. This proactive strategy will prevent security breaches before they happen and cause significant damage.
More than that, if your internal IT team can’t provide 24/7 security, well, that’s where a Managed Security Service Provider steps in. They will be proactively monitoring your business assets 24/7. Trust us, it’s much better to have by your side a security team that actively monitors your network and digital environment to identify potential threats than wait for cyber threats to occur. Most of the time, by the time a business reacts to a cyber attack, it’s already too late.
Cost-effective
Managed security services are often more cost-effective than hiring in-house security staff. Why? Well, just think about all the salaries, benefits, and training costs you need to pay for only a single internal role.
If hiring a dedicated in-house cyber security team is expensive for your small or medium-sized businesses, then outsourcing these services to an MCSSP can be the solution you were looking for.
This approach is more cost-effective, as you only pay for the services you need, with one set fee per month, rather than having individual invoices for different providers. Of course, as with all managed services, you can also scale up or down as your business needs.
Access to advanced technologies
Your business needs more than a firewall and an antivirus, that’s for sure.
Well, Managed Security Service Providers have access to the latest and most advanced cyber security tools and technologies.
They can help you implement multiple layers of security with best-in-class technologies for your business, ensuring you have the latest protection available.
Read more: 5 ways old technology can hurt your business
Scalability and flexibility
Your internal IT team, if you do have one, has the knowledge, tools and systems your business needs at a certain level. But as your business grows or evolves, your team may not be able to keep up with the increasing level of cyber security threats. For example, their workload may increase or new threats may appear for which they don’t have the tools or expertise to handle.
As your business grows or evolves, your cyber security needs may change. Managed Cyber Security Services can be scaled up or down depending on your requirements, providing flexibility and ensuring you have the right level of protection at all times.
Training and education
Improving your business and team security awareness is one of the most valuable ways to strengthen a business’s cyber security environment.
Managed cyber security service providers (MCSSPs) can provide ongoing cyber security awareness and education for your team to know the latest best practices.
This may include simple but regular reminders on topics like email security guidelines, enabling multi-factor authentication, or detecting social engineering techniques. It could also cover educating teams on emerging cyber threats.
MCSSPs may also train your internal IT staff on threat response so they can collaborate effectively with the MCSSP team for rapid incident response.
Meeting cyber security standards
Many industries have specific regulations and compliance requirements related to cyber security. This means that your business must probably comply with some regulations around its operations and data security practices.
For example, recent laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) are in addition to existing standards like Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
MCSSPs can help your business navigate these requirements, ensuring you maintain compliance and avoid potential penalties. These include implementing mandated security controls, maintaining visibility into sensitive regulated data, and reporting cyber incidents to relevant authorities.
Read more: What is Cyber Essentials and why is this certification important?
Incident response and remediation
When it comes to cyber security threats and attacks, a prompt response is critical for minimizing the damage and costs to your business. The longer an attacker maintains access, the more opportunity they have to steal data, deploy persistence mechanisms, or launch destructive attacks like ransomware.
That’s where an effective incident response is essential. But it does require specialized skills and expertise. For example, analyzing the scope of an attack may require digital forensics specialists or malware analysts. Maintaining such employees full-time is difficult and expensive for most businesses.
Partnering with an MCSSP gives you access to dedicated incident response teams with diverse expertise, including identifying the source of the breach, containing the threat, and restoring affected systems. An MCSSP handles significantly more incidents on a daily basis, and this means their incident response teams have the required experience to handle all types of incidents.
Risk assessment and management
Regular risk assessments help identify vulnerabilities in your systems and processes. MCSSPs can perform these assessments and work with you to develop strategies for mitigating identified risks.
For example, managed cyber security service providers conduct periodic vulnerability scans of your network, systems, applications, and devices to uncover any vulnerabilities that could be exploited.
Also, MCSSPs perform penetration tests, including network penetration tests, web app penetration tests, social engineering tests, etc. to identify vulnerabilities that could allow external attackers to gain access. They try to penetrate your business systems and networks just like a criminal hacker would.
Based on the vulnerabilities and penetration test findings, MSSPs analyze the risks to the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of all your critical data and resources.
Security strategy and roadmap
The right cyber security strategy helps your business plan for the worst-case scenario and can also lay out a step-by-step roadmap to navigate if a breach happens.
MCSSPs can help you develop a comprehensive security strategy that aligns with your business objectives. This can include setting goals, defining key performance indicators, and prioritizing investments in security technologies and services. Your MCSSP can provide advice and recommendations on planning, developing and monitoring a robust information security program.
All in all, with the expertise and services of an MCSSP, your business can effectively manage cybersecurity risks, ensuring the protection of your data, systems, and reputation.
Keep in mind that working with an MCSSP also means handing over control of sensitive security operations to a third party and trusting them to safeguard your business. All this means that it is important to evaluate and research service providers carefully based on their experience, skills, and reliability.
Ready to choose your Managed Cyber Security Services Provider?
At Haar, our managed Managed Cyber Security Services can boost your business security and growth. We work with you to monitor, detect, detect and mitigate cyber threats. From assessing, planning, and implementing to continuous risk management, monitoring, and reporting, our solutions deliver proactive support and real-time protection.
