4 ways MDR solves security operations challenges

Security operations risk getting overlooked in some organizations. A finance team? You know you need that to stay on top of the books. Sales and marketing? Well, of course, who else is going to bring the business in. And yet, each of these colleagues risks being out of a job in the event of a significant security breach.

It can be hard to recruit a security team, especially if your senior leaders are inexperienced in cybersecurity or there hasn’t been an adequate budget put towards building the department. It’s hard to justify security budgets, because spending on security doesn’t generate revenue. Rather, it reduces losses when things go wrong. Also, unlike physical security, with cybersecurity there is nothing visibly obvious to show for your investment.

Building complete security operations capability in-house can be prohibitively expensive and skills are hard to find. That is where a MDR service provider can help by providing the tools and skills which are hardest to acquire.That’s why many organizations turn to managed detection and response (MDR) services for help.

By bringing the power of cybersecurity technology together with a team of human analysts, MDR services provide a number of benefits that can help solve security operations challenges. In this post, we discuss four ways MDR can help your organization improve its security posture.

So what are the security operations challenges that businesses come up against?

Common security operations challenges that MDR can help solve

Limited time to find and secure top talent

Talent pools are not growing at the pace of the overall industry, and they are becoming more contested as we transition to a hybrid working world. That being said, recruitment can still be a huge drain on a company's resources — and, as we mentioned above, you may find yourself going in circles looking for the right cybersecurity lead if the role is ill-defined internally.

The MDR solution

MDR services remove the need for your business to find and onboard top cybersecurity talent. MDR providers have already built a tried and tested business model, they know who to recruit to build out their own capabilities, and they have the top-tier talent to plug in to your organization. Also, top talent will tend to prefer working in an organization where security is the core business, as that gives them a better career path, meaning that organizations that don’t offer a cybersecurity career path have less access to talent. They also have the infrastructure in place to quickly get new team members up to speed on your security procedures and protocols.

This way, you can be confident that you have the right people in place to protect your organization, without having to sacrifice your time or resources.

Limited budget for talent

Speaking of resources, budget can be an issue for businesses of any size. Small to medium sized businesses may struggle to allocate the budget at all, while even larger businesses may see their cybersecurity spend under threat if it is deemed ineffective today.

The MDR solution

MDR services can help you get the most out of your cybersecurity budget by providing a cost-effective solution that is tailored to your specific needs. Modern MDR providers follow a “co-manage” model where some of the routine tasks, like adding new log sources, can be performed by the client’s IT administrators. This avoids the client incurring the cost of expensive SOC resources for tasks which their own IT team can easily perform.

The best MDR partners will work to understand your unique security posture and then design a customized solution that includes the people, process, and technology you need to meet your goals. This way, you can be sure that you are getting the most bang for your buck.

Ineffective current cybersecurity investments

Staying on the topic of money for a moment, it’s common for organizations to invest in new technologies, only to have assets be partially implemented, improperly tuned, and under-utilized.

The MDR solution

MDR services can help you get the most out of your current cybersecurity investments by providing expert guidance on how to properly implement and use your technologies. What’s more, MDR teams can supplement your current tools and technologies with not only best-of-breed digital solutions but the power of human analytics as well.

This way, you can be sure that you are making the most of your current cybersecurity investments and that your organization is as protected as it can be. Your MDR partner may also be able to help establish best practices and measurability for your organization so that you can track and optimize your cybersecurity performance over time.

In-house security teams stretched thin

Organizations often underestimate the amount of time and effort required to properly staff and manage a security team. As a result, in-house security teams are often overworked and stretched too thin.

The MDR solution

MDR services can help by taking on some of the burden of managing your security operations. This way, your in-house team can focus on more strategic tasks, such as incident response and threat hunting, rather than managing tools like SIEM themselves.

Your MDR team should also be able to provide around-the-clock monitoring and support (it can be costly for a company to staff a 24x7 SOC), leaving you feeling confident that any in-house security professionals have an additional line of defense, and that your business’s approach to proactive cybersecurity never takes a day off (or minute!) off.

MDR: a comprehensive solution to your security operations challenges

By bringing together exceptional cybersecurity talent, supplementing world-class tools and technologies, and providing around-the-clock support, MDR services can either augment or replace an in-house security team. In turn, this can help improve your organization's overall cybersecurity outlook.

If you're looking for a comprehensive solution to your security operations challenges, contact us today to learn more about our MDR services. And keep an eye on our blog for regular cybersecurity updates on how to keep your business safe.