Benefits of Managed Security Services Sacramento CA

Understanding the benefits of managed security service in Sacramento CA

Managed security services are now big business, which means that it’s very likely that you’ve heard of them. You may not, however, be so clear on exactly what they are, what they do, and how they can help your business. With that in mind, here’s a quick guide to understanding the benefits of managed security services in Sacramento CA.

The benefits of staying local

Understanding managed IT security

The benefits of managed IT security

Access to skilled cybersecurity professionals without the need to recruit and retain them

Predictable monthly costs

The reassurance of knowing that essential tasks will be carried out promptly

1. The benefits of staying local

Before looking at the benefits of managed security service, it’s worth looking at the benefits of staying local in preference to going global. In simple terms, staying local gives you the maximum degree of connection to your managed security services provider.

On a positive note, this gives you the best possible opportunity to make them a real partner and stakeholder in your business. On a less cheerful note, it means that any disputes between you will be settled under your local laws and by your local courts. In short, be aware that if you go with a non-local managed security service provider, your service contract will probably state that any disputes will be settled under their legal system and by their courts. This can make it at best expensive and inconvenient to get redress and at worst it can make it impossible.

2. Understanding managed IT security

As their name suggests, the core of a managed security service provider’s business is managing security. In other words, it’s about overseeing preventative measures rather than giving advice on how to implement good security or dealing with security incidents as they occur. Most managed security service providers can do all of the above but anything over and above the management of day-to-day security tasks is likely to be classed as a value-add service and billed accordingly.

The big difference between managed security service providers and most real-world security companies is that managed security service providers will usually only deal with fixing security vulnerabilities or managing live security breaches if they are paid extra to do so. Therefore, unless you have a capable in-house IT team, it’s strongly recommended to have a sinking fund and/or insurance to cover the potential costs.

3. The benefits of managed IT security

While the previous paragraph may have sounded like a major warning about using a managed security service provider, it would be more accurate to say that you need to have a clear idea of what a managed security service provider will and will not do for you as part of their standard service. As long as you and your managed security service provider are on the same page about what is expected, they can provide many significant benefits to your business.

4. Access to skilled cybersecurity professionals without the need to recruit and retain them

For many SMBs this may be the single, biggest advantage of using a managed security service provider. It’s common knowledge that there is a global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, which means that they are in high demand.

Even if SMBs can offer the same sorts of pay and benefits as corporates and specialist companies (particularly managed security service providers), they are unlikely to be able to offer the same breadth of experience or opportunities for professional development. This can prove a major stumbling block when it comes to recruiting and retaining cybersecurity professionals as they simply cannot afford to be left behind in a fast-moving industry.

5. Predictable monthly costs

This is the other headline benefit to using a managed security service provider and in many ways, it ties in with the issue of recruiting and retaining staff. Staff costs are a huge part of an IT security operation and not only do you never really know how long staff is going to stay or how long it’s going to take to replace them when they leave, but you also have the challenge of managing the standard staff absences, such as vacation, sickness and even jury duty. Then there’s the need for ongoing training, which is essential for effective cybersecurity.

Many SMBs are only too happy to divest themselves of the risks involved with trying to maintain an extensive in-house IT team and pass it on to a managed security services provider, which will provide them with a guaranteed service for a set price.

6. The reassurance of knowing that essential tasks will be carried out promptly

When an in-house IT team is overworked, it’s only too easy for alerts to be missed and essential tasks to be delayed. This is understandable, but it can lead to serious security issues. Using a managed security services provider means that the necessary resources will always be available whenever they are needed.

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