Why a Managed Security Services Provider is a company’s most important partner
A company’s network resources are critical to its success. Despite their overwhelming importance, however, too many companies leave these assets to chance. A managed security services provider can develop a unique set of solutions to protect network resources from the relentless threats and Sicherheitsdienst Lahr attacks that occur every day.
Left unmanaged, these security risks, which can come from both internal and external sources, can have a devastating impact on an organization’s ability to operate. They pose a very serious and real threat to the company’s performance and continuity.
A recent ZdNet comment entitled “IT security and new regulations needed to protect critical infrastructure” highlights the importance of a managed security services partner. Noting that 2011 is what many have dubbed “the year of the hack,” the site’s commentator suggested that business owners “about network and systems security” might never think like that again.
Although he recommended “the use of typical preventative technologies (e.g. firewalls, IPS, anti-virus, etc.)”, he emphasized that such technologies are not sufficient in and of themselves. It requires the proper design , implementation and maintenance of a process that enables an organization to respond to any network threat in a “timely and effective manner”. Of course, most companies don’t have the resources to devote themselves to this task, which is a 24/7 job. This is where “a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) can help them fill organizational capability gaps.”
A managed security services provider can offer the following solutions:
- Risk mitigation to stop any threat before it becomes a full-blown emergency
- Enhanced network visibility with 24/7 monitoring for 24/7 security
- Improved network performance, uptime and utilization so businesses can maximize their effectiveness
- Flexibility to extend IT resources to strategic projects
- Simplicity in network management so business owners can focus their attention on more pressing matters
- Reduced network maintenance costs for a better bottom line
- A proactive approach to resolving system issues
With all these benefits, it’s hard to argue that partnering with a managed security services provider isn’t worth the investment, but for those CEOs who are still on the fence, PC Magazine echoes ZdNet’s glowing recommendation for one such partnership. A few years ago, an article on Managed Security Services said, “If your small business doesn’t have a full-time IT support staff, you’ll feel more secure hiring a specialist to handle security than taking care of your own,” he said You consider outsourcing security to a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). MSSPs can offer a variety of services such as:
Today, a managed security services provider can Security Lahr offer all of that and more, including (according to Wikipedia) “24/7 monitoring and management of intrusion detection systems and firewalls, monitoring of patch management and upgrades, Conducting security assessments and security audits and responding to emergencies.” And at a time when network security threats are lurking around every corner, no business owner can afford to be without protection like this.
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