Security Outsourcing: The Right Move For SMBs?

Making The Security Outsourcing Decision, a detailed and thorough report just out from our colleagues at Dark Reading, takes a hard look at what may be most important IT decision your company faces: Should you turn your security needs over to an outside company?The Dark Reading report, written by security expert Charlotte Dunlap, faces the question head-on: In tight economic times does it make sense to spend limited IT dollars on security products when there is a universe of security services to choose from?

In other words, keep your company's information safe within your walls by contracting for its protection outside your walls.

Dunlap understands the shift in thought such a move requires: While showing the dramatic growth in the Security as a Service (SaaS) industry over the last few years, she also clearly presents the most common hesitations companies raise when considering the shift:

Breaches in data privacy and fear of negative brand reputation resulting from lost data by service providers

Previous investments in on-premise equipment are considered too great to walk away from

Belief that an organizations technology is unique with business aspects they deem critical and too risky to trust to outsiders

Confusion over whether outsourcing security affects compliance requirements.

You've undoubtedly asked some these questions, and probably have others of your own. My guess is you'll find the answers, or good beginnings toward them, here.

Dunlap is particularly good on the wide (startlingly so) range of prices for managed security services (MSSP). This range, actually, is good bews for small and midsized businesses, indicating both the budgetary accessibility of MSSP, and, tellingly, the increased sense on the part of the growing MSSP industry that small and midsized businesses are a strong market for their services.

The report packs a lot of information into its 14 pages; Dunlap coordinates and presents the information in manner that's both concise and complete. For any business looking at its IT security budget -- and who isn't? --this one is must reading from Dark Reading.

The full report is available here (registration required).