Managed detection and response (MDR) is an industry term that refers to outsourcing cybersecurity operations to protect a company’s digital assets. Companies can outsource many types of operations and cybersecurity is one of them. It can be difficult for small-to-medium-sized businesses to find and keep good cybersecurity talent, in addition to paying for things like software licenses, etc. Many companies find it worth the investment to simply pay a more mature and well-equipped company to handle their cybersecurity for them. In this article, we are going to discuss five key reasons why you should consider outsourcing your company’s detection and response capabilities to a managed security service provider (MSSP).
1) Faster detection and response
MSSPs typically have larger data sets and better threat intelligence than the average company will achieve on their own. This allows them to produce better insights around the detection of existing and emerging threats and leads to faster detection and response. Combine this capability with their 24/7 coverage and the Service level agreements (SLAs) that outline their required response times and you get reliable detection and response for cyber threats.
2) 24/7 year-round coverage
For smaller businesses it can be difficult to achieve 24/7 coverage and when you do achieve that it will typically be very costly having to pay employees to work overtime regularly. Hackers aren’t restricted to attacking at a certain time so it’s important to have coverage throughout the day, not just business hours. With an MSSP you pay a fixed cost for reliable 24/7 coverage throughout the year. This gives companies peace of mind and ensures that no matter when an attack occurs you will be ready to respond.
3) Reliability
One of the problems with an in-house security team is dealing with the turnover of employees. If key security staff leave the company this can leave big gaps in your security operations. The smaller the team the more of a disadvantage you are in if someone leaves the company. MSSPs can handle turnover more easily and most of the time clients may not even notice when someone leaves their security team because they have so many people that can fill that role seamlessly. For you, this means more reliable delivery of cybersecurity services and less work for your HR department.
4) Regulatory Compliance
When it comes to security and data privacy regulatory compliance is a concern for all businesses that collect and hold customer information. While it doesn’t fall directly under cybersecurity because MSSPs deal with several clients across different regions, industries, and with varying sizes, they typically develop expertise on regulatory compliance and can help ensure that data is properly protected according to those guidelines. This can be a good value-added for companies that may not have this expertise within their business.
5) Lower Costs
Cost is typically the biggest objection that people would have to outsource cybersecurity. Most MSSPs are providing their services at scale which allows them to provide the capabilities that companies need at a lower price than what an in-house security team would cost the company to hire. Also, if you have the option to pick and choose exactly what services you need, you can further reduce costs by eliminating services that your company doesn’t need.
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