Why CISOs Need Managed Security Service Providers

The role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) has become increasingly vital in recent years, as the data breach epidemic continues to affect all kinds of organizations around the world. In October of this year alone, 107 data breaches exposed nearly 2 million sensitive records, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.

We’ve witnessed some huge cyberattacks in 2019, including major breaches for corporate giants like Facebook, Capital One and Toyota, among others. Smaller entities aren’t safe either: For instance, ransomware attacks hit numerous town and city governments this year. The bottom line is no one is immune to cybercrime, and CISOs are leading the fight to protect sensitive data from hackers.

The Many Responsibilities of a CISO 

As a CISO myself, I can attest to how challenging it is to take charge of information security for an entire organization. This job requires keeping up with the constantly changing IT security threat landscape – which is no easy feat, given that new malware shows up every day and cybercriminals never stop crafting new strategies. You also have to identify, implement and manage the right security technologies for your organization, in addition to leading threat hunting and incident response efforts.  

Earlier this year, the site TechTarget SearchSecurity published an article titled “Portrait of a CISO: Roles and Responsibilities” that explains the numerous duties of security executives. What stands out to me is the graphic the article includes illustrating all the obligations we have to juggle, from staying informed to serving as a trusted business advisor. While I think this is a great representation of our many priorities, it’s missing one important arm: Aligning with best-in-class Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs).

How MSSPs Can Help You Stay on Top of Security

Given how difficult it is to stay up-to-date on rapidly evolving threats and emerging cybersecurity solutions, many businesses turn to MSSPs to minimize their data breach risk and provide much-needed support for their internal IT staff. Security Operations Center (SOC) services – which give businesses on-demand access to high-level security analysts – have become extremely valuable, in particular, due to the current cybersecurity talent shortage.

As new tech like mobile devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) have created more points of vulnerability, the demand for security experts who can address these areas of concern has surged, according to Verizon. However, universities and training programs need time to catch up and develop courses that give job candidates the IT security skills companies need. As a result, there currently aren't enough high-level security experts to go around: In 2018, the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals reached approximately 2.93 million, according to a report released by (ISC)2 – an international nonprofit association for information security professionals.

Joining forces with the right MSSP can make a huge difference by allowing your business to leverage that sought-after security expertise through SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) offerings. SOCaaS and MSSP services and solutions can strengthen your security posture with the following:  

• Network and endpoint Managed Detection and Response (MDR) to identify and stop cyberattacks before they infiltrate your IT environment
• Web content monitoring
• App monitoring
• Dark web monitoring
• Vulnerability assessments
• Employee security awareness training
• Data and database integrity monitoring
• Compliance assistance (GLBA, HITRUST, HIPAA, PCI, Sox, ISO, FISMA and POPI)
• Next-gen managed firewall
• Backup, disaster recovery and business continuity (BDR/BC)
• Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)
• Two-factor authentication
• Threat intelligence and management (e.g., anti-virus, anti-malware and spam filtering)

Ultimately, aligning with an MSSP like Stratosphere Networks that can provide high-quality cybersecurity services and support is one of the most important responsibilities a CISO takes on. Obviously, I'm a little biased about which MSSP you should align with :) , but I truly am passionate about Stratosphere's commitment to provide Easy, Effective, and Powerful Security Solutions to businesses. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about MSSP offerings, feel free to contact me via DM. Alternatively, you can get in touch with the Stratosphere team by calling 877-599-3999 or emailing [email protected].

Jesse Miller is the CISO of Stratosphere Networks, a Chicago-based multifaceted IT managed service provider and MSSP focused on delivering comprehensive technology solutions to businesses of all sizes and across all industries. Visit https://www.stratospherenetworks.com/ for more information.