The risks that come with cyberattacks can’t be overstated. As organizations increasingly take operations online while storing and transferring sensitive data, the need for enhanced information security monitoring and management will grow in the coming years. Simply put, the best time to set up managed IT security services is now.
In a 2022 report from IBM, the average cost of a data breach in the United States was $9.4 million. And specific industries are particularly vulnerable—for example, the average cost of a data breach in healthcare was more than $10 million.
Fortunately, with specialized expertise in cybersecurity monitoring, IT security management offers a crucial first line of defense against potential threats.
What Does a Managed IT Security Service Provider Do?
A managed security service provider (MSSP) handles the hard work of cybersecurity protection as an outsourced service. This ensures that experts protect your organization’s IT operations and most sensitive information while you do regular business tasks.
It’s worth noting that there’s a difference between managed IT services and managed IT security services (but for the record, you can get both with Helixstorm). The former is broader in scope and could include a range of general day-to-day technical operations and administration. The latter offers services that are specifically aimed at helping you enhance your cybersecurity protections.
The scope of IT security is broad, and the range of services one MSSP offers might differ from another. Therefore, it’s essential to verify that the provider you choose can offer the protections you need. At Helixstorm, the following are just a sampling of the services we offer:
- Security Information Event Management (SIEM) – Identifying and analyzing threats in real time
- Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) – Discover and investigate suspicious activities
- Zero-Day Antivirus – Immediate response to cyberattacks
- Next-Generation Firewalls – Enhanced protection against evolving cyberintruders
- Email Threat Protection – Avoid spam, phishing and malware threats lurking in emails
- Vulnerability Scans – Analyze systems to identify and address weak areas
Here are just some of the benefits that managed IT security services can provide.
Detects and Defend Against Cyberthreats
The most obvious benefit of partnering with an MSSP is also the most important. Cyberthreats are ever-evolving, and new hacking methods emerge daily. Unfortunately, for many organizations, it’s not going to be if a cyberattack occurs—it’s when.
The most important step you can take to detect and defend against security breaches is ensuring you have the right systems and procedures in place (e.g., a SIEM solution).
However, the challenge is that setting up comprehensive security for your IT environment is a time-intensive process that often requires in-depth technical knowledge. Choosing, implementing, configuring and continually managing these solutions requires experts’ involvement. It’s also not a “one-and-done” process, as you will need updates to protect against new threats.
Working with a managed IT security service provider gives you access to specialized expertise when you need it. In addition, they’ll support you with trained professionals who keep up with cybersecurity trends and undergo training to face new threats head-on.
While not all cyberattacks may be avoidable, the best managed IT security service providers will use their expertise to help you catch threats early on. And an MSSP will act quickly to initiate an incident response in compliance with industry standards and best practices to minimize damages when attacks do occur.
Helps You Achieve Compliance Standards
Depending on your industry and the nature of your organization, you will likely have various compliance standards you need to satisfy. For example, many requirements include security standards regarding how sensitive information must be stored and shared to keep it secure.
A few examples of common compliance standards include:
- PCI DSS – Required of businesses that collect, process, transmit or store credit card data
- HIPAA – Applies to healthcare providers, health plan providers and healthcare clearinghouses
- GDPR and US state data privacy laws – Applies to most for-profit companies doing business with residents of a location protected by these laws governing personal data
The impacts of compliance violations extend beyond those affected clients, patients or customers. Failing to satisfy the necessary security compliance standards could have costly consequences for an organization, including fines and fees, litigation, reputational and client losses, criminal charges and more.
For that reason, it’s crucial to find an experienced MSSP with a working knowledge of the compliance standards required of your organization. Once you find the right match, an expert IT security services provider makes achieving compliance standards much easier.
Increases Business Agility
Investing in fully managed IT services also provides organizations with increased scalability and flexibility. As your organization grows, a reliable MSSP partner can help you expand your security protections, set up necessary protections for new in-network users, adjust systems and procedures as required, and more.
For companies transitioning to remote or hybrid workforces, IT departments can ensure a seamless transition, keeping data security and compliance top-of-mind.
Trains Employees on Cybersecurity Best Practices
In many cases, for a cyberattack to break through an organization’s protective barriers, someone inside an organization must first let the threat inside. While this may sound malicious, this often occurs unintentionally.
Cyberattacks often begin with just one accidental click on a sly phishing email, allowing a hacker to infiltrate an organization’s system. In fact, phishing and compromised business emails were two of the most common—and costly—initial attack vectors that cyber attackers used to infiltrate organizations.
When you invest in managed IT security services, IT experts can train your in-house employees on cybersecurity best practices to keep your organization’s most sensitive information and operations protected.
Reduces the Need for In-House Security Staff
Outsourcing your MSSP won’t make your organization’s cybersecurity any less robust. On the contrary, if you choose the right provider, you could experience a heightened level of security by partnering with a team of experts in their field.
When hiring in-house for managed cybersecurity services, hiring managers may have backgrounds in other fields. As a result, they may need to know what qualifications or areas of expertise to look for in a new IT security hire.
In contrast, when an organization’s sole purpose is managed IT security, it’s more likely that the onboarding team has a background in IT. This makes it easier for them to ensure that hired staff have the most up-to-date credentials to keep operations secure.
Makes IT Security Expenses More Predictable
Managed IT services are also cost-effective because you can still have an entire IT department – just not in-house. Additionally, when you pick an established IT security plan, it often becomes easier to anticipate recurring IT security costs.
Stop Cyberthreats in Their Tracks With Helixstorm Managed IT Security Services
When searching for a managed IT security provider, it’s vital to prioritize those with experience—so it might interest you to know that Helixstorm has more than 50 years of it.
When you choose Helixstorm for your Managed Security Services, your ongoing network management will be handled by cybersecurity experts. Even better, you’ll have access to top-of-the-line cybersecurity protection, 24/7 managed IT support and professional consulting when you need it.
Ready to find out how Helixstorm can help you improve your business operations? Contact Helixstorm today.
