The increase in remote work initiatives has created new opportunities for MSSPs. Organizations are now relying on service providers more than ever to help manage security across their expanding telework environments. But in order to take advantage of this opportunity, MSSPs require specialized cybersecurity tools and resources.
MDR vs. MSSP Security Services: What’s the Difference?
In cybersecurity, managed detection and response (MDR) refers to services that help organizations better understand the risks they face and improve how they identify and react to such threats. However, not all service providers are poised to offer these capabilities. The difference lies in the level of services provided. MSSPs usually provide the monitoring and management services needed to alert customers and help them achieve a better security posture and compliance. MDR services go a step further by providing staff augmentation for detection and incidence response.
MDR providers’ service offerings are primarily built around threat detection and response. With improved threat-detection times, organizations can respond to security incidents in real-time, limiting the impact of successful attacks. If customers require additional assistance, MDR providers can help with threat remediation by deploying on-premises teams. Conversely, MSSPs have traditionally prioritized security monitoring and asset management. Compared to MDRs, MSSPs are more concerned with the deployment, management, and monitoring of security assets like firewalls network access controls.
Providing MDR services will play a vital role in MSSPs’ ability to meet customer security demands. This trend was highlighted in one Gartner study, which found that by 2024, more than 90% of organizations looking to outsource security will focus on detection and response services. Buyers are turning to MDR providers because they are able to provide comprehensive response capabilities across remote business environments. This means that for MSSPs to stay competitive, they will need to incorporate managed detection and response technologies into their service offerings.
Challenges Managed Detection and Response Services Can Address
With MDR services, organizations have the ability to overcome the following challenges:
Providing Managed Detection & Response Services: Obstacles MSSPs Face
MSSPs face several challenges when looking to expand their service offerings to incorporate MDR solutions. These include:
Disparate Tools
MDR providers rely on multiple security vendors to provide threat detection and mitigation capabilities to customers. Without a centralized security platform, however, it can be difficult to gain the visibility and integration needed to manage threats properly. This is why MSSPs should work with vendors that provide the combination of tools needed to deliver threat detection and response services. Fortinet works to address this challenge by offering technology solutions integrated via telemetry that work with each other to share threat intelligence and support native automation. This helps to eliminate silos associated with having multiple vendors by providing MSSPs with integrated threat management systems.
A key component of successful MDR programs is having access to integrated security solutions. This has forced MDR providers to write middleware to get disparate technologies to work together. Solutions that incorporate automation with custom playbooks allow MDR providers to coordinate their detection and remediation efforts, helping them cut down on incident response times. For MSSPs who leverage decentralized tools, it can be difficult to discern false positives from active threats, creating gaps in security. As networks grow in complexity with the addition of endpoint devices and cloud solutions, having access to integrated security services is essential to the success of an MDR offering. Fortinet’s Security Fabric is designed to help address this challenge by providing MSSPs with a set of integrated security tools that work together to expedite threat detection and response. With integrated solutions, service providers can centralize case management and provide a full stack of MDR offerings to customers.
Competition From MDR Service Providers
With the growing demand for threat detection and response, traditional MSSPs are threatened by MDR providers competing for the same customer base that MSSPs have pursued. For this reason, it can be difficult for an MSSP to compete with established MDR providers without having access to the necessary tools and a detection and response service. This is why MSSPs must be able to differentiate their MDR capabilities in order to generate business. With Fortinet’s acquisition of EnSilo and Cybersponse for EDR and SOAR, which is fully integrated with FortiSIEM, service providers can build full-stack MDR offerings through a single vendor. This level of integration is unmatched in the current market, helping MSSPs to stand out from the crowd and attract new business prospects.
SOC Skills Shortage and Lack of Opportunity for Training
The effectiveness of SOC teams plays a significant role in an MSSP’s ability to manage security on customer networks. Currently, there is a serious lack of available SOC talent. This leads many MSSPs to train staff internally, something which comes with its own set of challenges. SOC training involves learning how to leverage multiple technologies which not only can be time-consuming but also requires a considerable monetary investment. And once SOC analysts are trained, MSSPs run the risk of them leaving for another organization as their newly acquired skills will be in high demand. Fortinet developed the SOC Lifecycle Strategy to help MSSPs tackle this challenge. The lifecycle strategy is composed of four stages, each of which provides MSSPs with the resources and guidance they need to establish the required infrastructure to provide MDR services to customers.
