Page 60 - Cyber Defense eMagazine January 2023

A cyber-defense security strategy should encompass the proactive and operational security of digital
channels, data and personally identifiable information (PII). It also should include a regularly tested crisis
plan those outlines action steps and reduces confusion when an incident occurs, enacting a fluid
response.

Trusted partner advantages

The most cost-effective and efficient cyber-defense strategy for a majority of businesses is to work with
a trusted partner. A trusted partner supplying such services will prepare companies for a future that
promises larger security attack vectors and impacts. Artificial intelligence will feature more prominently in
cybersecurity offense and defense during the coming months and years.

Top-notch cybersecurity service providers are those that offer the ability to continue to operate with
confidence within this evolving dynamic. They are domain experts that should monitor the landscape for
industry trends and emerging threats. These providers train like they fight — constantly testing and
validating tools — ensuring your company is prepared for future threats.

Outsourcing risk identification and remediation provides protection to businesses without the resources
to build the necessary cybersecurity infrastructure, and can help companies save up to 50% on
monitoring costs. These savings will vary from company to company. However, they ultimately pale in
comparison to the cost of not investing in cybersecurity at all, then being exposed to an attack that could
tank a business.

Working with a trusted partner is particularly helpful in today’s uncertain macroeconomic environment,
when many companies are taking a conservative approach to hiring full-time staff and even not backfilling
those who depart.

How to find the right cybersecurity service provider

Determining the appropriate company to serve as a service provider to any business partly rests upon
that business’ own cybersecurity goals. Without such guiding principles, expenditures could quickly get
out of hand and result in the opposite of one of the primary reasons to hire a managed security services
company.

It’s important to ask specific questions when searching for the right cybersecurity partner for your
business. This may include questions about a potential service provider’s expertise and experience in
the field, as well as the team’s overall capabilities, respective vertical-industry knowledge and proven
track record of success. Indications of the provider’s maturity will show themselves in their understanding
of the costs, effort and commitment mandatory to create a functional cybersecurity program. The best
candidates, too, will be sensitive to the hiring company’s concerns and focus on relationship building.

Smaller companies can find immediate benefits in forging relationships with a trusted managed service
provider to handle cybersecurity, including access to best-practice tools and processes, along with
seasoned experts in the field available for counsel. This enables smaller businesses to continue to focus

Cyber Defense eMagazine – January 2023 Edition 60
Copyright © 2023, Cyber Defense Magazine. All rights reserved worldwide.