Security won't contribute much to your bottom line--until it fails. But who do you turn to if you can't afford a team of security specialists? ZDNet Australia examines the state of MSSPs in Australia: What MSSPs are, what they can do, and which ones you can trust.
We might argue about the price, performance, and availability of broadband in Australia, but there's no question it is more affordable and accessible than ever before.
When only multimillion-dollar corporations could afford high-speed connections, security issues were dealt with by large IT departments with an in-house contingent of network security specialists.
Today, many companies that can afford to sign up for broadband access can't afford a security specialist--some don't even have an IT department. But the security risks associated with a broadband always-on connection can affect even the smallest businesses.
Traditionally, Internet security solutions have assumed that the user would have (or have access to) a high level of technical expertise. This was indeed the case before advances in DSL and cable modem technology brought high-speed access to the masses.
Now that high-speed services are widely available, Internet security technologies are just as widely needed, yet there has been no inverse reduction in the level of expert oversight they require.
With this in mind, companies of all sizes are increasingly turning to managed security service providers (MSSPs) to handle their security requirements.
Managed security is a booming business, with analysts predicting astronomical growth rates up to 90 percent per annum in the next few years.
The key driver behind this growth is the shortage of qualified security staff, and consequently the very high salaries they draw, according to Ray McIntyre, channel sales manager at security software developer McAfee.
"It allows your IT staff to provide a platform for you to grow your business, while leaving the things that aren't profit generating--such as security--to the expert," he said.
"It's a form of outsourcing for people who realise they don't have those particular skills, but want to keep things in house. They may not want to outsource a whole department."
McIntyre points out that the total cost of ownership of security software and equipment is far greater than the initial purchase price.
"Taking the example of antivirus software, the cost of the software is about 20 percent of the TCO, when you think about training staff, installing the software, and reacting to emergencies. A security provider can spread that cost out over several customers, which means it ends up costing you less."
