Staying on top of cybersecurity threats can be overwhelming, and finding security tools that can help can be a daunting task too. For some companies, turning over the problem to a managed security services provider (MSSP) is an attractive solution. Managed Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems are a good way to accomplish that.
SIEM systems offer a centralized view of IT security, ingesting log and event data from a wide range of security tools, hardware and applications, and alerting IT security teams when potential security threats are spotted. That central role makes them an ideal place to get help from an MSSP, right up there with managed firewalls and managed detection and response.
Five Ways a Managed SIEM Can Help
A managed SIEM offers organizations a way to get as much or as little cybersecurity help as they want. They offer a number of benefits, among them:
A managed SIEM is budget-friendly. A limited budget can be one of the biggest reasons that organizations cannot implement certain security solutions for their organization. While managed SIEM solutions aren’t cheap, they can still save you money as compared to the upfront cost of an on-site solution with 24-7 staffing. Although a managed SIEM can ultimately be pricey, the cost of developing, deploying, training and retaining on-site IT security resources add up. A managed SIEM is a fast route to better security with lower upfront costs.
Managed SIEMs save deployment time and complexity. An on-site SIEM solution typically requires months of deployment and training, an effort beyond the ability of many organizations. If your organization does not have the time to develop an in-house solution or the ability to allocate the manpower and resources required to implement, then an in-house SIEM solution is not for you. That’s also time when you won’t have an optimal security infrastructure in place. A managed SIEM solution is faster to implement and effective in providing results quickly for your organization. Most managed SIEM solution providers already have the know-how and infrastructure in place to implement a rapid deployment.
Managed SIEMs address the security talent shortage. An in-house SIEM solution also requires the talent to run it at a time of tremendous shortage of cybersecurity skills. Most SIEM solutions will require internal resources and security personnel in order to properly set up, manage, monitor, and optimize the alerts to meet the security needs of your organization. If your organization is smaller and you have a smaller security team or a team that cannot allocate the time to maintain a SIEM solution, then a managed SIEM solution is going to be a better option.
Managed SIEM providers can help with incident response. A managed SIEM provider offers a highly skilled staff of cybersecurity professionals and experts that will collaborate with your organization to analyze your enterprise security logs, investigate incidents and provide threat detection and response services. The ability to help with incident response can give you the speed and agility to respond to any security incidents or breaches that do occur.
Managed SIEMs give you the most up-to-date technology. One problem with buying technology is it becomes dated…quickly. A subscription gives you access to the latest technology and upgrades as part of your service – and you don’t even have to do the upgrades and updates yourself.
Managed SIEM providers
Managed SIEM providers range from security services companies to the developers and partners of SIEM systems. Most major MSSPs offer managed SIEM services, and some SIEM vendors also offer SIEM services or make their technology available through MSSP partners. A few noteworthy providers are AT&T Cybersecurity, IBM and Netsurion.
A managed SIEM solution can save your organization a great deal of money, resources and time. Ultimately, outsourcing SIEM management is the best choice for businesses looking to improve their overall security and threat management without the hassle of trying to deploy and manage a SIEM system in-house. It’s a quick route to top security, and that alone is an attractive value proposition for many organizations.