For organizations in the Asia-Pacific region, information security has never been more important. Cyberattacks are disrupting businesses and impacting organizations across industries. As a result, businesses of all sizes are feeling the heat.

Boost Preparedness With Managed Security Services

Most organizations are looking to make the most of the discrete security tools and products they have purchased over the years but are facing a lack of skilled security resources. It is very difficult to hire and retain the resources required to maintain a security infrastructure. Even if organizations find some resources, the lack of real-time security intelligence opens up gaping holes.

At the same time, boards regularly question organizations’ security preparedness. For this reason, enterprises are looking for support from external managed security services (MSS) providers that can help with these challenges.

Are All Managed Security Services Providers the Same?

While almost all MSS providers claim to provide 24/7 support, security intelligence and skilled resources, IT managers should choose a vendor very diligently. Look at the tools, scale and scope of the MSS provider’s operations to determine the value it can bring to your organization.

Ask prospective providers how many security operations centers (SOCs) they have, how they gather security intelligence and how customers are onboarded. You should also inquire about the skill sets and certifications of their personnel. But even with all this information, it may be a daunting task to finalize your MSS partner.

Get the Analyst Perspective

Analyst reports are reliable sources to help in the selection process. Look at analyst reports on Asia-Pacific MSS providers, since a lot of research has already been done in this area. For example, IDC recently published its “IDC Marketscape: Asia-Pacific Managed Security Services 2016” vendor assessment, which looks at 17 MSS providers in the Asia-Pacific region.

The report found that many vendors use the same buzzwords, such as “end-to-end,” “cloud security” and “next-generation SOC” to market their MSS offerings. The only way to distinguish between different vendors is to speak with their customers and analyze their offerings critically.

Download the IDC MarketScape: Asia-Pacific Managed Security Services 2016 Vendor Assessment

IBM Leads the Pack

IDC named IBM a leader in this space and complimented its complete portfolio and delivery capabilities. According to the report, “IBM has a long history as a leading technology vendor and is often the preferred choice for customers seeking security services. Leveraging on the global scale of IBM, extensive intelligence everywhere and state-of-the-art security technology, IBM helps organizations transform and optimize their security operations.”

Download the “IDC Marketscape: Asia-Pacific Managed Security Services 2016” vendor assessment report to help you in finalizing your managed security services provider.