A question that surfaces when business leaders are aware that they need to pump up their cyber security posture is – Can we augment our internal IT team with outsourced cyber security? The answer is “yes,” and it can be the solution to not only improve security but to enable everyone in the IT department to be more successful, as well as secure.
The impetus for this rising tide is that just about everything in IT needs to be accomplished with cyber security in mind. And access to cyber security guidance that comes with outsourced services will bring security into conversations earlier rather than later. The outcome is that security is never an afterthought.
In this article, we’ll dig into:
- Which Businesses Should Outsource Cyber Security?
- What Are The Benefits of Outsourced Cyber Security Services?
- How Do Cyber Security Companies Work With Internal IT Teams?
- The New Role Businesses Need – vCISO
Which Businesses Should Outsource Cyber Security?
Outsourced cyber security is a great option for companies that need to attain a high level of security very quickly. For example, it’s not uncommon to suddenly be faced with a situation where accountability for security is a requirement for doing business with a new customer.
Another scenario that many companies are facing right now is that they’re discovering that they can’t get cyber liability insurance, or they can’t get good rates on insurance unless they drastically improve their cyber security posture.
Companies that need to comply with regulations for data confidentiality and safety also benefit from outsourced security services. In many cases, compliance isn’t anything new but keeping up with compliance requirements is more than the internal team can handle.
New compliance requirements like Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) for manufacturers in the Department of Defense (DoD) supply chain are placing compliance requirements on companies that they’ve never had before. As a result, these businesses are having to scramble to interpret the regulations into a viable cyber security process.
Outsourced cyber security services are just about the only option for those companies that want to retain their DoD contracts.
What Are The Benefits of Outsourced Cyber Security Services?
While these scenarios point directly to the need to augment your internal IT team with outsourced cyber security services, there are many benefits that make this arrangement a win-win for any organization that wants to improve how they manage cyber risks.
When you outsource cyber security services, you get:
- Access to a whole department of cyber security knowledge and skills.
- Guidance in the creation of a cyber security strategy that fits your risk profile and tolerance.
- Relief from the burden of recruiting, hiring, training, and retaining security talent.
- Access to a tech stack that has been vetted for effectiveness.
- The ability to move fast when tactics need to change in response to evolving cyber threats.
How Do Cyber Security Companies Work With Internal IT Teams?
IT management and cyber security management are woven together but can sometimes conflict, so you should expect the two teams to develop a solid relationship built on consistent communication. What you don’t want to happen is for changes to be made to your network that negates security. The best case is that the two teams are involved in any discussion about network additions and improvements.
To get started with developing your cyber strategy, the cyber security company should perform a security assessment or gap analysis to get a lay of the land. This will feed the recommendations they will have for bringing your cyber defenses up to speed.
Then the outsourced and internal teams will decide who will do what.
Naturally, the outsourced company will manage the cyber security tools they use to monitor, detect, and respond to suspicious activity. There are security activities that fall under IT management that your internal team may do, like patch software and establish a refresh schedule for updating software and hardware.
The cyber security company may also have recommendations for other services that you should implement, such as ongoing cyber security awareness training for your people.
Regardless of how the two teams split up the work, the responsibilities should be clear and documented so nothing is missed.
The New Role Businesses Need: vCISO
Because cyber security is about cyber risk and business leaders hold the responsibility for managing overall business risk, companies these days need a cyber security expert on their leadership team. It’s not practical for many small and medium-sized businesses to have an executive whose job is completely dedicated to security – that’s where a vCISO comes in.
A vCISO (Virtual Chief Information Security Officer) is provided by the outsourced cyber security company to lead high-level security conversations and oversee everything that’s happening with cyber security. The vCISO acts as a guide and source of knowledge so that executives can make well-informed decisions about their cyber security strategy.
Wondering If Outsourced Cyber Security Services Are Right for You?
Whether you know that you need outsourced security services or feel that you’ve outgrown what your internal IT team can provide, a security assessment is a great first step in your research. Not only will you get an objective view and actionable recommendations, but you can get a feel for them.
Accent is a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) as well as a Managed Service Provider (MSP). We work with organizations of all sizes to help them defend against modern cyber threats. Whether you want to augment cyber security, IT management, or both, we’re here to help. Contact us for a security assessment.
