An organisation may outsource key security services to a company that offers a managed security service. This company is called a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). Usually, MSPs offer Security Operations Centres (SOCs) as a service. Such outsourced SOCs may be responsible for incident detection and response, raising a security issue with the client for remediation.
Most MSSPs offer SOCs as a service in a 24/7 facility, where the MSSP is responsible for creating and maintaining the incident detection tooling and process and keeping track of issues raised and fixed. Outsourcing this part of an organisation’s overall security may save costs by not buying such technical or personnel resources internally. The organisation may also ensure a low failover rate and lower downtime, as MSSPs use proprietary or other reputable data centres as conduits for their services.
An organisation can also benefit from MSSPs’ knowledge and intelligence methodologies and a wider pool of crowdsourced insights since most MSSPs handle several clients. Some MSSPs may also include a broader range of services, such as threat hunting, threat intelligence, intrusion detection, security testing and consultation.
Evaluating an MSSP Security Stack
Every company has its own unique security priorities, and there is a great variation in the level and type of service offered by MSSPs. Factors to consider include:
- Is the MSSP capable of delivering the level of service your organisation needs?
- Can they deliver the service at a cost your organisation can afford?
- Do they have the technical capabilities to do what they say they can do?
Example of an MSSP
BlueVoyant, a company in the ISTARI Collective, delivers purpose-built cybersecurity services that proactively defend business ecosystems of all sizes against today’s threats by utilizing large, real-time datasets with industry-leading analytics and technologies. Their threat intelligence data detects your most potent cybersecurity risks, while intuitive automation mitigates threats against your attack surface effectively and efficiently, providing the business and technical outcomes you need to both stay secure and support your business objectives.