An Overview of MSSP Cyber Security

Several sectors in an organisation equally contribute to its improvement. One of the integral teams that work to uplift an organisation is the Cyber Security team. The significance of this team has been increasing throughout the last decade, owing to the rise in cybercrime. The Internet Crime Report  by the FBI from 2021, from 2021 states a 7% increase in cybercrime complaints since 2020.   

A Managed Security Service Provider or MSSP in Cyber Security is one of the measures you can take to protect and maintain company security. Learn what Managed Security Service Provider is in Cyber Security and what benefits companies can expect from collaborating with them. 

Table of Contents

1) What is MSSP in Cyber Security? 

2) MSSP vs MSP 

3) MSSP: Benefits to your organisation 

4) What are the common services provided by MSSPs? 

5) Conclusion 
 

What is MSSP in Cyber Security? 

MSSP is an IT service provider or business that offers security solutions for safeguarding your company. Their services aim to protect your networks, applications, servers, and more using the latest technology.  

Being an outsourced service provider, they greatly help organisations that rely on multiple networks and systems. They offer overall protection to your organisation, thereby increasing company efficiency. Let's try to understand the role and responsibilities of a Managed Security Service Provider in detail.   

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MSSP vs MSP 
 

Both Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and MSSPs belong to the domain that offers technological solutions that ultimately strengthen your IT infrastructure. The key difference is that while MSPs offer various IT services to organisations, MSSPs focus on providing IT security solutions alone. They prioritise security solutions, whereas MSPs are focused more on administration.   

Another difference lies in the operations they use. MSSPs use Security Operations Centers (SOCs) that offers 24/7 monitoring and incident response. MSPs work from a Networks Operations Center (NOC) that helps them keep track of and manage networks of clients. 
 

MSSP: Benefits to your organisation 

Investing in security service providers can be a great way of securing your company from cybercrime and increase its efficiency. Here are some of the prime benefits of using this security service provider for your organisation: 

a) Cost-effective: Since their services are outsourceable, they can be availed for specified periods, a day or a month. Small and medium-sized businesses usually prefer this option, so they can refrain from investing heavily in long-term equipment and employees. Thus, associating your company with them can reduce investment, training, and recruitment costs. 

b) 24/7 protection: They work from SOCs and use the latest, high-quality technologies to improve Cybersecurity. Their SOC provides 24/7 monitoring and management of threats. Additionally, their highly experienced professionals can provide quick and practical solutions to tackle a diverse range of cyber threats. 

c) Softens workload on the IT team: The health of your employees is a cardinal factor contributing to your organisation's productivity. As workload increases, so does pressure, and IT teams are under constant pressure to maintain security, amongst other things, owing to the unpredictability of a cyber-attack. Hiring security solution providers like MSSPs can considerably reduce the work assigned to your organisation's IT team. 

d) Promotes business: It is easy to affect productivity when we focus on a single aspect of a business—using MSSPs to take care of Cybersecurity results in one less problem to worry about for the IT teams and other related teams of an organisation. Employees and executives can focus on improving business without the added worry of security. 

e) Compliance: Data regulatory and protection laws are updated regularly for companies to follow. Sometimes, abiding by those laws at all times becomes difficult. MSSPs help you collect the data and laws required and use it to conduct thorough Cyber Security Audits and for other uses.

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What are the common services provided by MSSPs? 

Managed Security Service Providers offer multiple services that can benefit your organisation. They make use of the best technology to bring excellent security solutions to your organisation. Some of the common yet useful services they provide are: 

a) Risk Assessment: Your system is prone to a cyber security attack at any given time. This heightens the need for implementing strategies that help you detect and evaluate any risks or potential threats to your system or network. MSSPs serve this purpose greatly and protect your systems and networks.   

b) Managed Firewall: This IT service provider offers us security experts that can be hired to monitor and manage your firewall, thereby strengthening threat management. Working with a managed firewall means having your network’s traffic patterns memorised. So, the possible threat can be assessed whenever a minute deviation from the standard traffic is detected. 

c) Virtual Private Network (VPN): These help guard your organisation's day-to-day operations against the rest of the web. This essential tool helps keep company secrets and trade affairs within the organisation. MSSPs help protects networks from users and devices given VPN access.    

d) Antivirus Services: One of the basic threats that computer systems face is getting affected by viruses. A  virus attack can cause monumental damage to your systems and networks. This IT service provider helps formulate the best antiviral services suitable for your organisation and implements them at the needed levels. 

e) Instant deduction and Response: This service provider offers services that help organisations receive quick updates upon identifying or detecting a potential threat. They make use of technology that resolves the issue as efficiently as it was discovered. The expertise of their staff helps a lot in quickening the process. 

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Top 6 Managed Security Service Providers in 2023

Ever since organisations started outsourcing security services, there has been no going back. Companies realised that this is a cost-effective option and have been sticking to it. Here are the top 5 MSSPs to look out for in 2023 

a) Cypher: Cypher caters to small, medium, and large businesses. They provide services ranging from Cybersecurity Monitoring to Vulnerability and Compliance Management. Cypher’s target industries include Hospitality, Healthcare, Financial Services, and more. 

b) Verizon: Quality in services like Endpoint protection and VPN can be expected from Verizon. They target multiple public and private sectors of various industries. Construction, Healthcare, Insurance, and, Manufacturing & Automotive are a few of those. 

c) ScienceSoft: Being ISO 27001-certified, ScienceSoft promises high-quality service to all its customers. IT, Healthcare, Transportation and Telecoms are a few of the industries they handle. They provide Cybersecurity consulting, Security Testing, Threat Detection, and Cloud Security services, among others. 

d) Trustnet: Trustnet works in mid-size and large organisations belonging to both private and public sectors. They provide services like Penetration Testing, Cybersecurity Risk, Cloud Security, and Incident Response.  

e) TSC Advantage: TSC Advantage holds the title of one of the Top 10 MSSPs in 2017. They cater to industries of Insurance, Government Security, Manufacturing, and more. Some of their services include Threat Management, Vulnerability Management, and Compliance Management. 

f) SecurityHQ: SecurityHQ makes use of 6 SOCs globally to work out. They handle industries like Financial Services, Banking, Real-Estate, Local Government, Property and Construction, Energy, and Oil and Mining. 
 

Conclusion

As the cybercrime rate keeps rising, the need for specialised security solutions also increases. MSSP in Cyber Security provides various security solutions for different types of organisations. We hope the contents of this blog have helped you grasp the workings of a Managed Security Service Provider.   

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