Safeguarding your information and technology systems has never been more important. Cybercrime is a growing problem all around the globe, with reports of new data breaches and cyberattacks hitting the headlines practically every day.
Organisations need to be aware of their vulnerabilities and take action to protect themselves. But can they fight the battle alone and do it all in-house? Is outsourcing a better option? This blog post will explain the benefits of managed security services and why your business needs them.
Defining managed security services
Before we examine why you need managed security services, let’s examine these services.
Managed security services are provided by a third party. They involve professional implementation, monitoring and management of an organisation’s cybersecurity processes. The services aim to protect hardware, systems and data from cyberattacks. Operating remotely, the services are typically available around the clock and make use of a variety of security tools to perform specific actions, including:
- Blocking spam and viruses
- Managing and maintaining firewalls
- Detecting intrusion attempts
- Assessing and auditing security
- Overseeing patch management and upgrades
- Responding to emergencies
Why do you need managed security services?
Let’s look at seven solid benefits of managed security services:
1. High-level security
The degree of expertise offered by managed security services is hard to beat. The cybersecurity landscape is increasingly complex, and attack tactics continue to evolve. Managed security services employ security professionals who receive continuous training in their field. They leverage the latest processes and technologies to ensure you get comprehensive, multi-layered security solutions.
The best-managed security services do much more than respond to threats as they arise. They take a proactive approach, conducting deep research and building a broad network for cyber threat intelligence while keeping up-to-date with developments in the industry. Most companies simply don’t have the same level of experience and expertise in-house.
2. 24/7 security
Because managed security services do not juggle multiple IT tasks simultaneously, they can provide around-the-clock monitoring of your cybersecurity. Cyber threats can occur anytime, and real-time detection is vitally important. Slow detection of cybersecurity incidents can result in high levels of loss and damage. When threat detection is instant, an appropriate response can be deployed rapidly. In cases where there is a breach, remediation action can be taken to minimise further harm.
3. Cost-effective security
Creating an in-house cybersecurity team is an expensive endeavour. Finding individuals with the right skills is neither cheap nor easy. You’ll also need to provide ongoing training to staff. Then there’s the technology side. You’ll have to cover the costs of security tools and acquire licences. While some larger companies might be able to absorb these expenses, small and medium-sized businesses often find it challenging.
Outsourcing managed security service is an affordable solution. Since most providers support several clients, they can spread costs across their customer base and offer a value-for-money service while maintaining the privacy of individual clients.
4. Improved business productivity
While cybersecurity is critical, it’s probably not your core business. Handing the responsibility for managed security services to a third party frees time to focus on your business activities. Your IT team can concentrate on delivering all the other technological services and functions that help your business thrive.
5. Stay on top of cybersecurity compliance
In Europe and the United States, mandatory minimum cybersecurity standards for businesses are clear-cut. In Australia, compliance requirements are less transparent at present. This will probably change soon, with the Australian government set to raise the country’s security posture.
Keeping up with changes to the regulatory framework on cybersecurity is time-consuming. Managed security services can help by ensuring up-to-date compliance and appropriate audits and reports are automatically generated.
6. Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing
A key component of a successful security setup is the pre-empting of cyber incidents. Managed security services offer ongoing Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) to expose weak points and potential threats in your security protocol before they come back to haunt you.
One of the major benefits of managed security services is that they run regular internal and external scans across your network, systems and devices. They’ll make appropriate configuration changes and harden patches where necessary based on the scans. In addition to expert Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing, managed security services can provide PCI and ISO27001 compliance-friendly reporting.
7. Ready to scale when you are
Managed security services providers have the flexibility to grow with your business. If your company needs to scale up rapidly, even temporarily, your managed security services partner should be able to adapt easily to your new requirements. Should you need to scale back your operations further down the track, managed security services can readjust so you’re not paying for more security than you need.
Let MicroRentals handle your cybersecurity
If you’re alarmed by the rapid rise of cybercrime, you’re not alone. Many businesses are turning to third parties for expert cybersecurity services.
For over 30 years, MicroRentals has been providing Australian businesses with top-quality IT security management and solutions. Our expert team is fully certified and holds numerous industry-recognised qualifications. We are well-prepared to safeguard your information and systems by developing a complete security strategy that fits your organisation.
To learn more about our managed security services, contact us today for a free consultation.
