An MSSP (Managed Security Services Provider) Partner is chosen by organizations for several reasons like security, talent shortage, budget cuts and the complexity of trying to stay on top of fledgling threats arising in the world of tech. Here are five areas you need to focus on to select an MSSP partner.
The following are five criteria to help you choose the right MSSP for your organization’s data protection needs.
Is the MSSP a Data Protection Expert?
You should look into the MSSP thoroughly to find out if it has sufficient security installed to protect your data. If they’ve been in the business of protecting organizations’ sensitive data for a long time and have gained a reputation for excellent service then they can certainly be seen as reliable. However, in the event that they’re a new service, you should scrutinize and compare their services to others before making your decision.
The MSSP you opt for shouldn’t only be able to reduce your workload and your info security team’s responsibilities but should be an extension of your team, protecting your data from threats inside and outside.
Team Qualifications
As you evaluate the MSSP, you should also take a look at its individual employees; employees are the company after all. The staff should be monitored behind the scenes and should be evaluated for skills such as data protection, subject matter expertise and ability to deal and detect advanced threats. The team should also be evaluated for accessibility.
You should also make sure that the team is based in a place that you know and can easily access; after all, you trust them with your most sensitive data. All of these questions should be answered by an MSSP without hesitation.
Can they help you with Advanced Threats?
Make sure your MSSP helps you with a broad range of solutions that aren’t only for today’s data protection needs. They should also cater to protection from malware that is continuously evolving. This malware has become increasingly difficult to detect and remove. Your MSSP partner should be a data protection expert that singles out advanced threats so that you can focus on your core business.
Handling Sensitive Data
Making sure you know where your sensitive data resides and how it’s handled by the service provider is key. Make sure you obtain complete and total transparency when you access your data. This is your right as a consumer and the entire point of trusting someone else to handle your data. An ideal MSSP will store your data in cloud environments.
Do they have References?
If the MSSP has good references such as public ones with known security experts, then you’re good. If industry experts say that your MSSP is reliable and perfectly capable of guarding against any threat, you couldn’t be in safer hands. Trouble is, that’s hard to find.
It’s best to have a conversation with your MSSP partner and explain what you need. If you can obtain certain references and check them out yourself, you can make the best judgment in any case. There is no one size fits all solution to this, you have to work with the options you are given.
