Research Says Best Info Security Requires Managed Security Services

Feb 19, 2008 3:52 PM

New research from Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Co., reveals that the organizations getting the best information security performance include some managed security services as part of their defense. The new report, "Best Practices in Choosing and Consuming Managed Security Services," provides insight gleaned from close to 200 survey respondents, supplemented with in-depth interviews with veteran consumers of managed security services.

"These findings are significant because they reflect a shift in market awareness. Often organizations have been turning to managed security services to help with compliance issues, or reduce the management associated with maintaining ongoing security or to reduce their costs," says Carol Baroudi, research director in the IT Security practice at Aberdeen. "The market is realizing that some kinds of security are better delivered from a managed security services provider (MSSP) that has visibility into security events across networks and across a spectrum of customers, allowing for earlier detection and earlier prevention. Additionally, the availability of certain kinds of security services on demand makes stronger security affordable to organizations that may not have the resources to deploy it in-house."

Best-in-class organizations report fewer security incidents, fewer malware infections, fewer incidents of data loss, greater reduction in fraud, fewer failed audits and greater reduction in help desk costs associated with security events. This Aberdeen report details the strategies, actions, and capabilities best-in-class organizations employ as well as the enabling technologies they choose -- including the managed security services deployed most by the best-in-class -- to obtain their superior performance against various security performance metrics. Organizations reported a wide spectrum of experience with MSSPs and were forthcoming about the lessons they've learned, and the steps they employed to assure success.

A complimentary copy of this report is available at www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4581 due in part by the following underwriters: Chosen Security, MXLogic, Perimeter, St. Bernard, SecureWorks and Virtela.

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© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

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