Garland Technology ensures complete packet visibility by delivering a full platform of network TAP (test access point), inline bypass and packet broker products.
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Our extensive technology partnership ecosystem solves critical problems when it comes to network security, monitoring, application analysis, forensics and packet inspection.
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When firewalls emerged to protect networks in the early 1990s, outsourcing cyber security to a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) wasn’t even a consideration.
However, defending your network from sophisticated cyber attackers today requires a laundry list of appliances and applications, including DDoS protection, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), web application firewalls, data loss prevention, security information and management, deep packet inspection, Wireshark, network analyzers, and more.
With so many requirements just from an appliance perspective, it’s easy for companies to become overwhelmed by their growing cyber security budget. Like many other aspects of your business, outsourcing security might make sense now—but do your research before deciding.
Before diving into the world of MSSPs, check out these pros and cons to see if outsourcing security is right for you.
If you’re already outsourcing functions such as customer support, web design, or manufacturing, the advantages of outsourcing security might seem familiar to you. These are some of the key benefits to having a managed provider take care of your cyber security needs:
While these advantages can be enough to push companies of all sizes to outsource their security, there are still disadvantages to keep in mind.
Before diving into the risks associated with hiring an MSSP, it’s important to understand that MSSPs do not completely eliminate your security costs—for example, you’ll still need an in-house CISO or similar security team member for the MSSP to report to and coordinate with. MSSPs offer security expertise; but they are meant to supplement your own security team, not replace it.
One disadvantage that keeps companies from outsourcing their security functions is the risk of letting someone take care of their sensitive data. For many companies, allowing outsiders to handle customer personal identifiable information (PII) is totally unacceptable. This is why a detailed SLA is essential to an MSSP relationship—so that confidentiality can be maintained and you are protected legally in the case of a data breach.
At least when security is in-house, you can take it on yourself to guarantee customer data protection, which leads to another risk-related MSSP disadvantage—a lack of control. We mentioned the standard security appliances and applications any defense strategy needs; but with an MSSP you don’t have control over the actual cyber security portfolio. While MSSPs are hired for their security expertise, it can still be a daunting task to relinquish all defense responsibilities to an external provider.
To mitigate these disadvantages, do your research before choosing who to outsource with. There are plenty of service providers and each one will approach your network slightly differently—make sure you take the time to ensure SLAs will meet your needs and that you can trust the provider with your sensitive data.
One last thing to remember when choosing your MSSP is that an MSSP might have all of the necessary appliances and applications for security and network monitoring; but without the guaranteed visibility from a network TAP, there’s no way to ensure these solutions are effective.
Ask prospective MSSPs how they handle NGFW/IPS updates, maintenance and trouble-shooting. Only a network TAP will allow for continued network monitoring while performing these tasks.
Looking to add visibility or bypass to your deployment, but not sure where to start? Join us for a brief network Design-IT consultation or demo. No obligation - it’s what we love to do.
Chris Bihary, CEO and Co-founder of Garland Technology, has been in the network performance industry for over 20 years. Bihary has established collaborative partnerships with technology companies to complement product performance and security through the integration of network TAP visibility.