How to Cement Your Trusted Advisor Status with Managed Threat Intelligence

Each day, the cybersecurity landscape is expanding in complexity and the volume of threats generated. The emergence of mobile computing and the introduction of new devices on the network opens up new attack surfaces for botnets, hackers, and ransomware to exploit. Not only that, with more organizations migrating to a cloud and hybrid cloud, protecting applications, network, and server components on-prem and cloud-hosted has also become increasingly challenging. Keeping up with this dynamic threat surface requires a Security Operation Center (SOC) that is dynamic and provides always-on analysis. The eyes and ears of the SOC are the Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) platform which centrally logs and manages cybersecurity threats. The SIEM should also aggregate and correlate those logs with logs from traditional security tools like firewalls and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) to proactively monitor the environment as a whole.

Getting all of these complex security pieces in place is no easy task. Most organizations don’t have the time, tools, or expertise, to manage their security environment AND manage their business effectively. That’s why organizations are looking to their technology partners for guidance and support. Technology partners that are part of these security discussions and those that can make intelligent recommendations about managed security are in the best position to help customers succeed. Let’s look at what questions partners should be asking to guide security conversations and explore how partners can help navigate this complex and sometimes overwhelming cybersecurity environment.

1. How many products are you currently using for security? Today’s traditional security practices are unsustainable. The cybersecurity industry remains fragmented, with some organizations having as many as 85 security tools from 45 different vendors. Despite these efforts, companies are still struggling with the basics, including the ability to find critical data and protect it. (Source: (ISC)²). If this scenario describes your customer base, remind them that they need an integrated approach to data protection. A managed security partner that can provide independent cybersecurity monitoring and security oversight with a managed SIEM platform can deliver holistic and proactive threat protection without the need to buy, install, and maintain additional security products.
2. How do you monitor threats across your hybrid cloud environment? IT teams who are responsible for securing both on-premises and cloud environments need to have specialized tools and skills to understand the nuances and capabilities of the cloud. SOC analysts need the ability to detect and decipher the types of activity and threats unique to each environment. Identifying behaviors common to each situation and dissecting the context around events is critical to know how to react accordingly. Educate your customers about the different approaches needed for hybrid and on-prem monitoring capabilities and systems. They need SOC experts who can create and manage two separate use libraries and maintain a current asset management inventory. By taking these steps ahead of time, IT leaders know where on-premise boundaries begin and hybrid environments end.
3. Is there pressure on your IT budget and staff? Have your customers discovered a breach in data or information security? Or have they experienced an influx of infected machines, viruses, or ransomware? Did they struggle to respond quickly? If customers are experiencing these challenges that may, in part, be because they can’t cope with the growing skills gap in the cybersecurity industry. And they aren’t alone. Experts predict there will be 1.8 million unfilled positions over the next few years (Source: Frost and Sullivan). If they’re struggling to identify and quickly act on security alerts, talk to them about the need to elevate their security strategy in their organization and the benefit of security-as-a-service. Managed security solutions give them the ability to deploy a complete fully managed actionable threat monitoring platform, without having to buy, implement, and manage multiple technology products and retain staff to keep up with new threats. As a technology partner, you can lead them in a higher-level conversation about their security posture. By developing a managed threat intelligence program, they’ll be prepared to respond to these challenges and to adapt to emerging threats. Beyond security operations and information security and event management, the best technology partners deliver built-in around-the-clock rapid response support and remediation services.

By educating customers about how to balance their requirements for staying secure, compliant, and resilient, technology partners can help customers build a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy while also cementing their place as a trusted advisor within the organization. At Vertek, we help technology partners reach this trusted advisor status by helping manage executive-level conversations about cybersecurity. We also have the technical expertise to dive deeper and talk about the ins-and-outs of a managed security information and event management, because it’s all we do! If you want to have a better answer the next time your customer asks, ‘how can we strengthen our cybersecurity strategy today?’ Talk to us! We can take the lead or help you talk to your customers about how a managed threat intelligence (MTI) solution that includes SOC experts can provide comprehensive security management and protection. We’re here to help!