With information security threats on the rise, organizations struggle to keep up. Current staffing shortages of 2.7 million information security professionals make it challenging to meet all of an organization’s security needs.
For many organizations that had to transform to accommodate remote work and fast-tracked cloud-based migrations, the implementation of technology far outpaced the ability to secure it all. When faced with this situation, the only viable solution is to seek third-party help from managed security service providers (MSSPs) to help fill in the gaps.
When choosing the right MSSP to help your organization protect its most assets, it can be hard to differentiate what makes a good MSSP. This article explores the three most important capabilities that an MSSP needs to protect a business partner.
Detection
When considering an MSSP, the most critical capability needed is the ability to detect threats and security incidents at a faster rate. Without determining when an actual incident occurs, there is no ability to defend against it or respond before it is too late.
Many MSSPs claim to have detection capabilities through traditional monitoring of endpoints and systems. While this is a good start, this does not create the level of in-depth visibility that organizations require to be secure in today’s modern enterprise. Visibility requires continuous monitoring of both on-premises and cloud environments and the ability to combine this intelligence in one location.
An MSSP that can deliver a modern SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) functionality integrated with actionable threat intelligence advisories and behavior-based detections creates the breadth and depth of visibility. A SIEM continuously ingests and watches for questionable events stemming from endpoints and networks. Using AI-driven functionality parses out false positives to deliver only high-quality investigation findings, reducing Mean Time To Detect (MTTD).
Protection
Even with quality detection capabilities, an MSSP must protect data and endpoints effectively. These protections can come in a variety of forms, including file integrity monitoring (FIM), endpoint detection and response (EDR), and SaaS protection with CASB (cloud access security broker). These protections can work in tandem to reduce exposures and provide solid defenses against attackers.
An MSSP can help an organization with Zero Trust access and authentication for more comprehensive protection. Zero Trust allows organizations to deal with threats no matter where they originate and protect both on and off-site assets. Zero Trust works with in-depth monitoring and the removal of standing privilege to create an environment where even if credentials are stolen or insider threats are at play, data is protected, and the impact of a potential breach is greatly diminished.
Response
When a threat strikes, a response should be quick and effective, without waiting for an individual to notice and take action. This is where MSSPs that deliver automated incident response with well-defined playbooks shine above the rest. With the automated incident response, when risky activities are detected, the system automatically takes action thus reducing Mean Time To Response (MTTR). Automated procedures mitigate the threat after the incident is detected by the misuse of privilege or an internal port scan that may indicate a bad actor has already gained access.
These automated procedures by no means entirely replace a skilled security practitioner. The automated processes are the first steps to help contain the threat while mobilizing a person. A human practitioner can take more in-depth threats to identify and control the threat and ensure that the vectors leveraged to gain access are not used again.
Conclusion
Businesses looking to succeed in the new environment need security partners to protect themselves against actual cyber-attacks. Effective MSSPs can deliver comprehensive detection, protection, and response to ensure that cyber incidents are quickly identified and eliminated before they can get a foothold.
Learn more about how Persistent can help protect your organization with cutting-edge security services to protect your organization and rapidly respond to incidents.
