How Managed Cyber Security Services Can Benefit Your Business

Are you concerned about cyber attacks?

Cyber-security incidents are not going away and, in fact, have been rising year over year.

Businesses need to take steps now to protect themselves from these attacks, and one way is by using managed security services.

Managed security services can help businesses protect their data and systems from cyber attacks and can also help to improve overall security posture.

Managed security services work by outsourcing your organisation's cyber-security functions to a service provider specialising in this area.

By doing so, you'll be able to reduce costs related to managing security for your organisation and improve efficiency due to the specialised knowledge of your service provider.

Additionally, many organisations find that they can better stay on top of emerging risks and threats with the help of a service provider specialising in this area.

What are managed cyber security services, and what do they offer businesses?

• What are the most common cyber security services?
• How can businesses benefit from using a managed security service provider (MSP)?
• What are the costs associated with using an MSP for cyber-security services?
• What are some of the key considerations when choosing an MSP or MSSP for cyber-security services?

Managed security services offer businesses a variety of benefits of cyber-security, including:

1. Improved Security Posture - By outsourcing your cyber-security to a managed service provider, you can reduce your exposure to cyber threats.

The MSP will have a team of experts trained in identifying and mitigating cyber threats and will constantly monitor your systems for any signs of attack.

2. Reduced Costs - Managed security services are often more cost-effective than hiring in-house security staff.

The MSP will manage all the hardware and software needed for protecting your systems, which can be costly if purchased outright by the business.

3. Increased Efficiency - By using an MSP for cyber-security services, you can free up your internal IT staff to work on other projects that are important to your business.

The MSP will take care of all the day-to-day tasks associated with protecting your systems, such as installing updates and patches, configuring firewalls, and monitoring system logs.

If you are a CTO, CIO, IT Manager, CEO, Business Owner or someone who manages security risk in your organisation, this article is for you.

This post will dive deeply into what core services are provided by managed cyber-security providers and how they can help your organisation combat cyber risks.

Cyber-security Services and Topics we'll cover:

• Common Cyber Threats
• Security Audit
• Vulnerability Assessment
• Security Testing
• Penetration Testing
• Email Security
• Incident Response
• CSOC Cyber-Security Operations Centre
• Vulnerability Management
• Managed Detection and Response
• Security Architecture
• Security Awareness Training
• Policy Management and Compliance
• Risk Management
• Managed Cyber-Security Pricing and Costs
• The Cyber-Security Journey
• Cyber Essentials

Outsourcing your cyber-security to a managed service provider (MSP) is a great way to improve your overall security posture while reducing costs.

By entrusting an MSP with the responsibility of protecting your data and systems, you can focus on running your business without worrying about potential cyber threats. This article will discuss some of the benefits of a cyber-security service.

Aztech provides cyber-security services to organisations in the UK and internationally from its Cyber-Security Operations Centre (CSOC / SOC) based in Milton Keynes.

We are protecting thousands of users and devices daily. This article has been written to share our knowledge and expertise into what's working for organisations and our cyber-security team to deal with cyber-attacks and manage security risks.

7 Strategic Benefits of Cyber-Security for your Business

Here are the seven strategic benefits of cyber-security for your business.

1. Protection of Personal Information

Cyber-security is essential for protecting personal information online. By using strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and other security measures, users can protect their data from being accessed by malicious actors.

One of the benefits of cyber-security is to prevent identity theft, which can have serious financial and emotional consequences for individuals.

2. Protection of Business Data

Businesses rely on cyber-security to protect their confidential data and intellectual property from being stolen or misused by hackers or other malicious actors.

Cyber-security measures such as encryption, access control, and firewalls help to ensure that only authorised personnel can access sensitive information.

3. Prevention of Unauthorised Access

One of the benefits of cyber-security is that it helps to prevent unauthorised access to networks and systems.

By implementing robust authentication measures, organisations can ensure that only authorised personnel are able to gain access to sensitive systems and data.

This helps to reduce the risk of insider threats and data breaches.

4. Increased Efficiency

Many businesses are now relying on cloud computing services in order to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

However, these services must be secured with cyber-security trends in order to ensure that confidential data is not compromised or misused by unauthorised personnel.

By implementing strong cyber-security measures, businesses can take advantage of cloud computing without compromising the safety of their data.

5. Improved Regulatory Compliance

Organisations must comply with various regulatory requirements when it comes to protecting customer data and other confidential information from malicious actors or unauthorised access.

Another benefit of cyber-security is that it is essential for ensuring compliance with these regulations as it provides the necessary safeguards against potential threats or attacks on an organisation’s network or systems.

6. Reduced Risk of Reputational Damage

Data breaches can have devastating effects on an organisation’s reputation as customers may be reluctant to trust them with their personal information if they feel that their data is not secure enough.

Implementing strong cyber security measures can help organisations protect customer data and avoid reputational damage in the event of a breach or attack on their systems or networks.

7. Cost Savings

Finally, benefits of cyber-security is that it can help organisations save money in the long run by preventing costly data breaches or system outages due to malicious actors or unauthorised access attempts.

By investing in cyber-security solutions such as firewalls, encryption software, and malware prevention tools upfront, organisations can save money in the long run by avoiding costly clean-up costs associated with a breach or attack on their networks or systems.

What are the common cyber threats and attacks?

Cyber threats come in all shapes and sizes and can be challenging to detect and defend against. Here are some of the most common types of cyber threats that businesses need to be aware of:

1. Phishing attacks: Phishing attacks are one of the most common types of attacks, and involve sending fraudulent emails to individuals to obtain sensitive information such as passwords or credit card numbers.

2. Ransomware: Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts data on a victim's computer, then demands a ransom payment in order to decrypt the data.

3. Social engineering: Social engineering attacks are designed to exploit human vulnerabilities in order to obtain sensitive information or access to systems.

4. Malware: Malware is a term used to describe a variety of software that is designed to damage or disable computers.

5. DDoS attacks: DDoS attacks involve flooding a target system with traffic from multiple sources in an attempt to overwhelm it and disrupt its operation.

Start with a security audit or assessment

Are you concerned about the security of your company's data?

A security assessment can help you identify potential risks and vulnerabilities in your system. You can protect your company from costly data breaches by taking proactive measures to address these issues.

A security assessment can give you peace of mind by identifying potential problems before they occur. By addressing these issues early, you can avoid the expense and reputation damage resulting from a data breach.

Many cyber-security experts will offer a free consultation, assessment or audit. This service can identify what security controls are in place to protect sensitive data and highlight any areas of security weakness.

Security Testing

As technology advances, so do the methods of cybercriminals.

Security testing is an important measure to take in order to ensure that your systems are secure against the latest threats.

By regularly testing your system's security, you can be confident that your data is safe and protected.

Cyber-security testing can identify vulnerabilities in your system before hackers exploit them.

By carrying out regular tests, you can fix any weaknesses in your system before they are exploited. This will help to protect your data and keep it safe from cyber-criminals.

Are you concerned about the security of your website or application?

Cyber-security is one of the most important aspects of any online business. Hackers are constantly trying to find new ways to exploit vulnerabilities, and if you don't have adequate security measures in place, your business could be at risk.

Cyber-security testing can help identify potential weaknesses in your system and allow you to fix them before they can be exploited.

By carrying out regular tests, you can ensure that your system is as secure as possible and give yourself peace of mind knowing that your business is protected.

Some common security tests carried out by cyber-security experts include penetration testing, vulnerability scanning and a risk assessment. 

Remember, security testing should not just stop at your websites or public-facing applications. testing should be carried out across your entire IT environment 

You will also want to have a plan to test your employee's cyber awareness.

A common approach to testing cyber security user awareness is to run a simulated phishing attack.

Simulated phishing campaigns are "fake" targeted attacks that try to trick your users/employees into clicking a link that, if it were a real attack, could lead them to a web page that has malicious software. 

By running these tests, you can quickly identify employees that are in need of security awareness training.

Vulnerability Assessment

A vulnerability assessment, sometimes known as vulnerability scanning, is a key element of any cyber-security strategy.

It is an assessment of an organisation's cyber-security posture, and identifies potential vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

By conducting a vulnerability assessment, organisations can identify areas where their defences are weak, and take steps to mitigate the risks.

In addition, vulnerability assessments can help organisations to understand the changing threat landscape, and keep abreast of new attacks and vulnerabilities.

As such, they are an essential tool for any organisation looking to protect itself from cyber-threats. is a key element of any cyber-security strategy.

By conducting a vulnerability assessment, organisations can identify areas where their defences are weak, and take steps to mitigate the risks.

In addition, vulnerability assessments can help organisations to understand the changing threat landscape, and keep abreast of new attacks and vulnerabilities.

As such, they are an essential tool for any organisation looking to protect itself from cyber threats.

How often should you carry out vulnerability assessments?

There is no set answer to this question, as the frequency of vulnerability assessments will depend on several factors, including your organisation's unique security posture, and the nature of the threats that you face.

However, it is generally recommended that organisations conduct regular assessments to ensure ongoing protection from cyber attacks.

Suppose you need to figure out how often you should carry out vulnerability assessments.

In that case, consulting with a trusted cyber security expert who can advise you on best practices and help you develop an appropriate strategy for protecting your organisation's data and systems may be helpful.

With their expertise and guidance, you can take steps to mitigate the risks posed by cyber-threats and keep your business safe in today's digital world.

Penetration Testing

Penetration testing, also known as pen testing or ethical hacking, is a legal and authorised approach to attack an organisation's network infrastructure to find security weaknesses.

Different to vulnerability scanning, the goal of penetration testing is to identify and then exploit vulnerabilities to gain unauthorised access to systems and data.

By replicating the techniques used by a real-world cyber-attack, organisations can;

• Gain an understanding of the types of attacks they are most vulnerable to
• Identify weaknesses in their security defences
• Evaluate the effectiveness of their security controls

Penetration testing can be used to test an organisation's external defences (e.g. internet facing systems) or internal defences (e.g. network infrastructure). It can be conducted manually or with automated tools.

Penetration tests can be used to test an organisation's web applications, mobile applications, network infrastructure, wireless networks, and more.

Penetration testing can help organisations to improve their security posture by identifying vulnerabilities before attackers do.

By understanding the crag of potential attacks, organisations can make informed decisions about which security controls to implement in order to better protect themselves.

Penetration testing is an essential part of any organisation's security strategy.

Email Security

Email is now the primary form of communication for many businesses, which means that it's more important than ever to ensure that your email system is secure.

Unfortunately, email is also one of the most common targets for cyber-attacks, with malicious actors often using sophisticated phishing techniques to gain access to sensitive data.

A managed cyber-security service can help to protect your organisation from these threats by providing 24/7 monitoring and incident response support.

In addition, they can also help to implement best practices for email security, such as Two-Factor Authentication and encryption.

By working with a managed security service, you can help to ensure that your organisation's email system is safe from attack.

There are several well-established email security platforms on the market, These include:

• Mimecast
• Proofpoint
• Symantec Email Security
• Microsoft Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection (ATP).

Working with a managed security provider or cyber security expert to implement email security can speed up your deployment and align your implementation with best practices.

At Aztech IT our security team have a deep understanding of Mimecast Advanced email protection, so can assist your organisation with any support required on this.

Incident Response

When it comes to incident response, speed is essential. The faster you can contain and resolve security incidents, the less damage they will do to your business.

But incident response is also complex and requires a coordinated effort from multiple team members.

There are four main steps in incident response: identification, containment, eradication and recovery.

Identification is all about identifying what has happened and understanding the scope of the incident.

This step is usually led by a security analyst who will use a variety of tools and techniques to identify the incident. Once the incident has been identified, it can be contained.

Containment is about preventing the incident from spreading any further. This may involve isolating compromised systems or taking them offline altogether.

It is also important to contain any sensitive data that may have been exposed. Eradication is all about removing the cause of the incident, whether that is a piece of malware or a malicious user.

This step will usually be carried out by a security engineer. Finally, recovery is about getting your systems back up and running.

This includes restoring any lost data and ensuring that all security measures are in place to prevent future incidents.

An IT security consultant or managed security company can help you with incident response in several ways.

They can provide expert advice on how to contain and eradicate an incident. They can also help you to put in place appropriate security measures to prevent future incidents.

In addition, they can provide support during the recovery process.

Managed Detection and Response

Managed Detection Response, known as MDR, is a cyber-security service that helps to detect and respond to potential threats.

The main goal of MDR is to provide 24/7 monitoring of your systems so that any potential threats can be identified and contained before they cause any damage.

MDR services usually involve a combination of technology, processes and people.

The technology component includes the use of advanced malware detection and analytics tools, while the process component involves establishing incident response protocols and best practices.

The people component usually consists of experienced security analysts who can monitor your systems around the clock and respond to any threats.

MDR works differently from traditional anti-virus products. Instead of relying on signature-based detection, MDR focuses on detecting anomalies and suspicious behaviour.

This helps to detect unknown malware that traditional anti-virus products might miss.

By investing in managed security services such as MDR, you can help protect your business from cyber threats.

With the right combination of technology, processes and people, you can gain a comprehensive and proactive approach to security that will help to keep your data safe.

Some commonly used and market-leading MDR solutions include;

• SentinelOne
• Crowdstrike
• Carbon Black
• Microsoft Defender ATP

In summary, managed cyber security services can provide businesses with an effective way to protect their systems from cyber-attacks and improve overall security posture.

By outsourcing functions such as email protection, incident response and MDR to a managed service provider, businesses can reduce costs and improve efficiency.

Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC)

Does your organisation require SOC our outsourced SOC (Security Operations Centre) services?

A CSOC is fast becoming essential to any organisation's security posture. It can provide 24/7 security monitoring, incident detection and response, threat intelligence gathering and analysis, vulnerability management, incident and forensics investigations etc.

Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) can help organisations to build their own SOC or outsource the services to an MSSP.

An MSSP can provide you with SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) which includes monitoring and managing your security infrastructure, identifying threats, containing incidents and providing detailed analysis of suspicious activity.

In conclusion, managed security services can be a cost-effective way for organisations to protect their data and systems from cyber-attacks and improve their overall security posture.

MDR solutions and CSOC services are essential components of any security program, and outsourcing these services to a managed service provider can help your organisation save time, money and resources.

With the right combination of technology, processes and people in place, you can gain peace of mind knowing that your data and systems are in safe hands.

Managed security services can help businesses protect their data and systems from cyber-attacks and can also help to improve overall security posture. By outsourcing security functions to a managed

Cyber Essentials

Is there a benefit to working with cyber security experts to guide you through and help you achieve Cyber Essentials?

In short, businesses can benefit from working with cyber security experts to help them achieve Cyber Essentials.

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that guides how to protect your systems from the most common cyber threats.

Many public sector and local authorities organisations were quick to adopt cyber-essentials.

Nowadays, it's very common for most organisations to consider cyber essentials to manage cyber risk.

Working with an expert will ensure that you meet all of the Cyber Essentials requirements and implement best cybersecurity practices.

Having technical expertise on hand to review your information security and policy development can fast-track your way to certification.

To achieve cyber essentials or cyber essentials plus you will need to be audited by an approved certified body.

AZTech IT is certified to assess for cyber essentials. You can find a list of all certified bodies at IASME. 

Managed Cyber-Security Services Costs

Managed security services are typically 'per-device' or 'per-user', and the cost will depend on several factors, such as the size and complexity of your IT infrastructure.

It is generally much less expensive than hiring an in-house team to manage your cyber-security.

Overall, managed security services can offer significant cost savings, improved security posture, and enhanced efficiency.

When choosing an MSP or MSSP for cyber security services, you should look at their experience and expertise in the area of cyber-security.

You should also ask about the costs associated with their services to ensure they are competitively priced.

By doing your research, you can be confident that you are selecting the right managed security services provider for your business.

By outsourcing cyber security to a managed service provider, businesses can benefit from cost savings, improved efficiency, and enhanced security posture.

When selecting an MSP or MSSP for these services, it is important to consider their experience and expertise in cybersecurity and their pricing.

Careful research will help ensure you select the right managed security services provider for your business.