Three Advantages of Using a Multi-vendor Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP)
Many enterprises quickly recognize the advantages of off-loading the day-to-day task of operating a secure enterprise network to a third party. Those include reduced operational costs, access to cybersecurity talent, expanded SLAs, and the opportunity for their internal resources to focus on creating competitive business advantages. There are even more benefits to be realized, however, when engaging a multi-vendor MSSP, such as the ability to employ best-of-breed implementations, leverage existing tech debt, and gain an industry ecosystem-level understanding of cybersecurity.
Why a Multi-vendor MSSP?
In cybersecurity, there are many situations where no single technology provider can meet all the needs for secure, high-performance and reliable infrastructure. Some solutions may provide outstanding threat analysis, while others provide more robust WAN optimization or high-availability solutions. Even simpler single-source architectures can be challenging for some IT groups to deploy and maintain at scale.
As a result, some enterprises resort to fixed, universal access policies to secure their networks. While that approach may provide stability due to static configurations, it can disrupt the customer and employee on-site experience. In other cases, enterprises may compromise their solution selection, choosing what they can support within their internal operational limitations rather than what they know they need.
A better option is to partner with a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP), like Hughes, that has access to multiple market-leading technologies.
Best-of-Breed Implementations
By collaborating with the right multi-vendor MSSP, enterprise customers can implement mixed best-of-breed solutions and dramatically expand their access to proven cybersecurity technologies.
For example, in two recent deployments, Hughes found that satisfying the customer’s demanding business and operational requirements required blending multiple solutions together -- instead of serving the customer with a single vendor solution, we used a combination of technologies from multiple vendors to achieve the ideal solution.
Leverage Existing Tech Investments
As cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, solution requirements must also evolve. Enterprise customers may need to transition between solutions to satisfy these new requirements. Multi-vendor MSSPs with experience managing both legacy cybersecurity solutions and new innovative technologies can expertly facilitate the operational transition from old to new. In large, distributed networks with equipment on different depreciation schedules, a multi-vendor MSSP can also provide managed services on the legacy equipment until it fully depreciates to maximize the value of the customer’s prior investment.
Access to an Ecosystem of Cybersecurity Resources
The field of cybersecurity is one of constant innovation based on unrelenting creativity from bad actors and cybersecurity solution providers. Multi-vendor MSSPs have a unique insider’s view into these aggregate innovation cycles due to their partnerships with the numerous technology vendors they support. This multi-dimensional perspective means the multi-vendor MSSP has the advantage of expanded market insight to accurately assess the current state and future direction of cybersecurity technology.
As enterprises become ever more digitally dependent, and hackers pose an existential threat, businesses must employ every available tool and strategy to mount an adequate defense. The multi-vendor MSSP can provide them with the ability to blend best-of-breed solutions, leverage existing tech debt, and access an entire ecosystem of cybersecurity resources.