EDITOR’ S QUESTION
SHANE GRENNAN, SENIOR CHANNEL DIRECTOR, MIDDLE EAST AND TURKEY, FORTINET
Companies should retain control of ultra-sensitive data, proprietary security platforms and security policies in general.
In today’ s threat landscape, every customer requires a multi-layered strategy, where 24x7 visibility and monitoring is mandatory. This presents a considerable challenge for customers to invest in people, training and solutions – one which is beyond many customers as they struggle with budgets, attracting and retaining top talent, and dealing with the complexity of deploying and using modern NOC, SOC tools.
Managed Service Providers, MSPs and Managed Security Service Providers, MSSPs provide an alternate path to this customer pain. These providers introduce expertise, automation, and scalability, enabling companies to maintain their company’ s security without overwhelming their internal teams.
Companies can partner with MSSP’ s and have them perform the critical yet complex and laborious tasks of threat monitoring, threat research and hunting, incident response and management, and compliance data reporting. It can alleviate the customer on a CAPEX front but also leave these tasks in the hands of experts who do this every day for many customers.
Consider Fortinet’ s AI-driven security solutions, for instance, which enable MSPs to deliver realtime threat detection, automated intelligence and proactive security. This equates to businesses having solid, evolving protection without having to develop a costly, full-time security staff.
Outsourcing everything is not the solution. Businesses must be strategic about what remains
in-house and what gets outsourced. Services such as endpoint security, cloud security management, and SOC operations are appropriate for MSSPs because they need to be monitored 24x7 and have quick response times.
AI-driven automation enables MSSPs to detect and block threats in real time, minimising risk without needing a massive security workforce.
Companies should retain control of ultra-sensitive data, proprietary security platforms and security policies in general.
Although MSSPs offer systems the tools and the expertise to remain secure, businesses must still establish governance policies, administer compliance obligations, and monitor access control.
An ideal method is a hybrid strategy in which MSSPs do the daily security work and internal staff attend to security strategy and policies specific to the business.
One of the biggest issues with outsourcing IT security is compliance. It is all about doing due diligence and companies must ensure that providers adhere to industry regulations and best practices. Companies should check certifications, look for regulatory compliance and examine the provider’ s security history before choosing an MSP or MSSP.
Transparency is equally important. FortiPortal, for instance, acts as a self-service customer portal that allows businesses to monitor security operations, track network traffic and generate audit reports.
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