Cybersecurity affects all businesses, not just enterprises and governments. It’s critical to be aware of the risks and monitor, manage, and mitigate them. Today, most companies are aware of today’s omnipresent cyberthreats but are woefully under-protected—especially small and medium businesses (SMBs). Sometimes, business owners and managers know just enough to be dangerous and think they’ve got enough protection from a simple, off-the-shelf solution that’s not up to the job of protecting them in today’s complex and sprawling threatscape.
And sometimes, companies haven’t secured the protection they think they have. While many companies have outsourced management of their IT systems and networks to a managed services provider (MSP), they often haven’t done the same for their cybersecurity issues. And many assume that their MSPs are handling their IT security, too. But, usually, they’re not.
MSP vs. MSSP: Why Customers Get Confused
It’s a classic case of mistaken identity: an MSP and a managed security service provider (MSSP) appear to the uninitiated to be similar, but they are not identical. In short, while MSPs manage IT systems and networks, MSSPs manage IT security.
MSPs:
- Ensure IT systems are operational… network, applications, database, etc.
- Are usually remote, helping to support organizations that don’t have internal expertise or capacity to manage certain IT functions.
- Are more reactive… called in when something happens.
- Have a help desk to support hardware and software.
- Help businesses save money in the long term by freeing up IT team bandwidth for revenue-generating activities.
MSSPs:
- Evolved out of MSP offerings but are focused on true security as a service
- Provide security monitoring and management services such as threat monitoring, intrusion detection, firewall and patch management, endpoint protection and testing.
- Are more proactive.
- Have a security operations center (SOC) to provide real-time threat monitoring and analysis.
- Help businesses save money in the long term as network security – and cybersecurity overall – is now the rule and no longer the exception.
Unfortunately, the common confusion between MSPs and MSSPs can have dire consequences for both MSPs and their clients. In today’s landscape, cybersecurity incidents are almost guaranteed to happen. If an incident results in a breach, with systems and data compromised, often the MSP is blamed, even when they don’t have any responsibility for security. A customer may argue that the MSP should have told them what they weren’t buying. (After all, how were they to know that security wasn’t part of there “managed IT?”) At worst, the finger-pointing can escalate quickly, often resulting in a damaged or severed relationship, legal issues, and lost revenue.
MSP Cybersecurity Services
For most businesses, embracing managed cybersecurity services makes sense. Mounting an adequate defense requires ongoing updates and vigilance— a daunting task to keep up with internally, especially when resources are tight. Managed security also offers a predictable cost structure and the peace of mind that comes with knowing that all of a company’s defenses are always up to date, which businesses are eager to invest in.
MSPs often have difficulty adding the right security solutions to their portfolios, as security competency is highly specialized. Basic antivirus and traditional network firewalls don’t cut it anymore. Parsing through the sheer array of advanced security products and approaches appears almost impossible – especially when you don’t have a security background. As a result, putting together a core security offering that MSPs can stand behind for their customers becomes a daunting challenge simply from a technical standpoint.
And beyond core cybersecurity services is a growing need for managed security operations center (SOC) services. Technology can only do so much – a fully effective security service also needs human analysts to triage alerts and follow up on incidents deemed to be real threats. Developing an SOC is beyond the reach of most MSPs. Deployment is capital-intensive, cybersecurity talent is both expensive and in short supply these days.
Become a Cybersecurity Partner
Given all of these challenges, it seems like MSPs are damned if they try to offer security, and certainly damned if they don’t. Hope is not lost, however. Choosing the right cybersecurity partner can provide a sustainable middle ground.
A master MSSP, like Overwatch by High Wire Networks, gives MSPs access to a platform – both technology and SOC – to deliver cybersecurity in a holistic manner and with the high standards required today. There’s no need to build and scale a SOC on your own if you’ve got a reliable and proven platform partner.
The Overwatch Managed Security Platform-as-a-Service offers partners the ability to onboard an entire portfolio of advanced security services, with high margins and competitive pricing. MSPs gain the ability to offer customers round-the-clock managed security monitoring, detection and remediation plus 24/7 SOC-as-a-service as well as other critical security add-ons like user security awareness training and regulatory compliance.
Our goal is to simplify cybersecurity for MSPs and their clients, so they’re both protected against the costs of mistaken identity.
Ready to Identify as an MSSP?
Contact High Wire Networks today!
Email: overwatchsales@highwirenetworks.com
Call us: 630-635-8477
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