What is managed security service providers (MSSP)? And who are the major managed security service providers in the industry?
Managed security service provider (MSSP) provides outsourced monitoring and management of security controls, devices, and systems. Security services that MSSP provide include managed firewall, intrusion prevention system, intrusion detection system, virtual private network (VPN), antimalware scanning, vulnerability scanning and related services. It can also provide Extended Detection and Response (XDR) solutions to protect endpoint devices and systems. Furthermore, MSSP uses local or remote security operation center (SOC) to provide 24/7 security service to an organization and reduces the number of operational security personnel that the organization needs to hire, train and retain to maintain an acceptable security posture. In addition, MSSP employs digital forensics and incident response (DFIR) to continuously monitor and investigate security incidents, and collect evidence about the incidents. Besides, MSSP may offer threat intelligence services to provide insightful information about threat landscapes that cloud target an organization. Because building these function, hiring the right security personnel and running the services internally is costly endeavor.
The role of an MSSP for an organization is to help protect businesses from security threats through software and services. Some of the popular MSSPs on the market nowadays include the following:
- Anomalix
- Delta Risk
- Cipher
- SecurityHQ
- SecureWorks
- IBM Managed Security Services
- Verizon
- Symantec Managed Security Services
- Trustwave
- AT&T
- Wipro
- BAE Systems
- CenturyLink
- Intrust IT
- Foresite
- Trustnet
- Global IP Networks
- NTT Security
- Accenture
- Lumen
- Alert Logic
- So much more
Benefits of an MSSP include the following:
- Reliable access to threat intelligence
- Filling vacant security roles in an organization
- Access to specialist expertise and tools
- Increased security maturity in an organization
- Optimized security stack
- Solution configuration and management
- Lower total cost of ownership (TCO)
- Cybersecurity risk and compliance management
- Threat hunting services
- 24/7 threat detection
- Rapid incident response and investigation
- Monitor advanced threats
- Automate vulnerability management
- More