Cyber security is essential to any business. It protects from potential threats and helps users navigate issues before they become too big to handle. Security as a service (SECaaS) has become mainstream because it offers advantages to businesses of all sizes and can be tailored to each organization’s needs.
SECaaS provides security services on a subscription basis. It does not replace your IT department, however. Instead, it works best in cooperation with your IT department, who are the eyes and ears of your organization. When implemented properly, it reduces costs while enhancing security over what businesses could achieve on their own. Because businesses have many choices when choosing a SECaaS platform, however, it can be hard to know where to start.
Benefits of SECaaS
Reduced Costs
The as-a-service model relieves you of the need to pay for hardware and licenses. With SECaaS, you pay only for the resources you use, reducing both upfront and maintenance costs. You also get access to cyber security experts without needing to source them yourself or keep them on your payroll.
Efficiently Enhanced Security
Even if your users aren’t keeping their anti-virus systems up to date, SECaaS helps protect them by employing the latest updates against threats. This also means you no longer need to chase the latest technology to keep your business secure. SECaaS monitors your system 24/7 so it can react to abnormal behavior with the latest security equipment and respond to threats immediately.
Dedicated Experts
Your SECaaS provider will have a team of dedicated experts to support your system’s cloud infrastructure. This frees up your time to focus on what is most important for your organization. If your SECaaS system detects unusual activity, it will alert the security operations center. They will shut down the unusual activity but allow other parts of your business to keep functioning. This information will then be sent to your IT department, who can then take the appropriate next steps.
Examples of SECaaS
As cyber criminals become more sophisticated, your security system needs to keep up. Your SECaaS provider will use a variety of security features to provide the protection you need. Specific offerings vary by provider and organizational needs. In general, however, the main elements of SECaaS are investigation, incident response, and remediation.
Additional features may include
- Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR)
- Intrusion detection and prevention
- Continuous monitoring
- Data loss prevention (DLP)
- Data encryption
- Anti-virus scanning and update management
- Identity and access management (IAM)
- Network, email, and web security
- Security information & event management (SIEM)
- Vulnerability scanning
SECaaS is not always a cloud-based solution. Providers can offer a hybrid model, where cloud-based resources are used in conjunction with local on-premises infrastructure if this is what you need.
Features to Consider in a SECaaS Solution
A SECaaS provider may offer several different types of coverage, such as
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Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB)
CASB is a software tool that bridges the gap between an organization's on-premises infrastructure and a cloud provider's infrastructure. CASB works by providing a single point of control that increases visibility across cloud services such as software as a service (SaaS), platform as a service (PaaS), and infrastructure as a service (IaaS), that a business may use.
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Email, Website, and App Security
A massive amount of information passes through email, so it's especially important to protect against threats that target this medium. Website and app security tools identify vulnerabilities and eliminate them to keep information that is sensitive to your organization out of the hands of third parties.
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Network Security
Your provider can monitor the traffic that moves through your servers and target threats before they cause problems for your organization.
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Single Sign-On (SSO)
This IAM security feature ensures your people can gain access on any device without losing security protection.
Expert Cyber Security Advice
Whether you just want a checkup for your current security system you already have in place or you want to discuss the SECaaS options available with industry experts, LinkSource can help. If you decide to move forward SECaaS system, LinkSource can help you find the right provider for your needs. The size of your organization and the scale of your IT department will influence which SECaaS provider is best equipped to serve your business. We'll guide you toward the industry-leading providers who will work with you to ensure every aspect of your business is safe.
