What are Managed Security Services

In today's digital age, organizations face an ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. From data breaches to ransomware attacks, the risks are numerous and can have significant consequences for businesses. Many organizations are turning to Managed Security Services (MSS) to combat these threats as cybersecurity staffing shortages and sophisticated attacks make protecting apps harder than ever before. This article explores what managed security services entail, how they can benefit your organization, and what to look for when evaluating vendors. 

What are Managed Security Services?

Managed Security Services (MSS) outsource the management and monitoring of an organization’s security to a third-party service provider, known as a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP). MSSPs are available for nearly any security function, but it’s important to note that few cover every function, and many focus on a particular security type. For example, we’ll focus on what application security (AppSec) MSSPs like Fastly help with. These services protect web applications, APIs, and other application-layer components from cyber threats.

Completely outsourcing management, monitoring, and mitigation requires trust in the MSSP's expertise and capabilities, but it’s important to note that many will allow their customers to stay involved how they see fit. By creating a runbook, or a custom set of procedures, customers can dictate the level of involvement they seek - from alerts when incidents are being investigated to requiring approval before mitigation implementation and almost anything in between. This ensures that while much of the ongoing work is still managed by the MSSP, customers can keep tabs on their environment without the 3 am wake-up calls.

MSS vs. DRS

Understanding the difference between Managed Security Services (MSS) and Disaster Recovery Services (DRS) is crucial for organizations looking to enhance their security and resilience as the names can be used interchangeably in some conversations but have very different focuses.

• Managed Security Services (MSS): Focus on proactive measures to protect and monitor the organization’s security environment, particularly at the application layer. MSS aims to prevent security incidents before they occur and detect/respond to threats in real-time as they arise.

• Disaster Recovery Services (DRS): Focus on reactive measures to recover from significant incidents or disruptions. DRS involves creating and implementing plans to restore IT systems and data after a disaster, ensuring business continuity.

Core Components of AppSec Managed Security Services

At their core, managed security services for Layer 7 application security provide 24/7/365 monitoring and mitigation of attacks, often with the following components:

1. Web Application Firewalls (WAF): Implementation and management of WAFs to filter and monitor HTTP traffic between a web application and the Internet.

2. API Security: Protection of APIs from attacks such as injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and other vulnerabilities.

3. Application Threat Hunting: Regular scanning and assessment of web applications to identify and remediate vulnerabilities.

4. Actionable reporting: Collection and analysis of security data from applications to provide a comprehensive view of the security posture and detect anomalies.

5. DDoS Protection: Defense against Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting application-layer resources.

6. Compliance Management: Assistance in achieving and maintaining compliance with industry standards and regulations related to application security like PCI DSS 4.0.

7. Security Consulting and Advisory Services: Provision of expert guidance on application security best practices, risk management, and strategic planning for key initiatives.

BONUS: With the rise of automated attacks, some AppSec MSSPs may offer a level of bot management too. Bot Management tools help organizations classify wanted vs. unwanted bots - allowing or rate-limiting wanted bots as needed while stopping unwanted bots from price scraping, account takeover, or other attacks.

Benefits of Layer 7 Managed Security Services

Organizations can reap several benefits from leveraging Managed Security Services focused on Layer 7 application security:

1. Expertise and Experience: MSSPs bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in application security, staying up-to-date with the latest threats and technologies.

2. Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing application security can be more cost-effective than maintaining an in-house team, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises.

3. 24/7 Monitoring and Support: Continuous monitoring ensures that threats are detected and addressed promptly, reducing the potential impact of security incidents.

4. Scalability: MSSPs can scale their services to meet the evolving needs of an organization, accommodating growth and changes in the threat landscape.

5. Focus on Core Business: By entrusting application security to an MSSP, organizations can focus on their core business activities without compromising on security.

How to Differentiate Between MSSPs

Selecting the right Managed Security Service Provider is crucial for maximizing the benefits of your managed security services. 

First-Party vs. Third-Party MSSPs

It's important to distinguish between Managed Security Services provided by a vendor operating their products or another company’s, and the value of each. This decision will help immediately narrow the vendors to compare.

• First-Party MSSPs: These MSSPs leverage their products to deliver managed security services. The benefit of these providers is that they have high levels of expertise using the products, access to additional internal resources, and can leverage products that have yet to be made publicly available to enhance your protection and fight sophisticated attacks.

• Third-Party MSSPs: These MSSPs leverage a combination of other vendor’s products and are often solely focused on managed security services. By deploying a unique combination of products, these MSSPs can offer additional breadth of security coverage (think endpoint, device, zero-trust, etc.) and pick their ideal vendor for each security segment.

The question of which to choose often comes down to whether you’d like to outsource a portion of security your team has less expertise, staff, resources, etc. to manage or security as a whole.

Key Differences Between MSSPs

With the decision of first or third-party MSSP made, other key considerations include:

1. Reputation and Track Record: Look for MSSPs with a proven track record and positive reviews from other customers.

2. Range of Services: Ensure the MSSP offers coverage that aligns with your organization’s application security needs.

3. Customization and Flexibility: The MSSP should be able to tailor their services to your specific requirements and adapt to changing needs.

4. Security Certifications: Check for relevant certifications (e.g., ISO 27001) that demonstrate the MSSP’s commitment to security standards.

5. Response Time and SLAs: Evaluate the MSSP’s response times and service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure they meet your expectations for incident response and support.

Why Organizations Use Managed Security Services

In an era where cyber threats are a constant concern, managed security services are focused on offering a proactive and effective approach to safeguarding your organization’s digital assets. By partnering with a reputable MSSP, organizations can enhance their security posture, achieve compliance, and focus on their core business objectives with confidence. Contact us or explore Fastly’s Managed Security Service to learn more.