How CIOs Can Address the Growing Cybersecurity Talent Gap

“Finding people who have that security expertise and can also quickly be effective with your company is tricky right now,” says Martin Capurro, VP of Managed Services for Comcast Business. “The trend that we’re seeing is a lot of companies, rather than trying to do it all themselves, are turning to their provider of networking services and saying, ‘Can you help me make this network more secure?’”

Finding security services that fit your business

Perhaps the most important thing to understand is that single-point security solutions are falling out of favor. In recent years, the cyber threats facing enterprises have grown not just in number but also in variety, making it necessary to use a multi-layer strategy that protects against everything and provides end-to-end security. An MSSP that understands this will offer unified threat management (UTM). Good UTM packages include a wide variety of formerly disparate advanced security functions, all of which can be monitored and managed from a single user-friendly interface.

Protection against DDOS attacks is also essential for any large business. Such attacks have become so common today, says Capurro, that many clients don’t even realize they’re being targeted. “We had a client who thought they had a performance issue,” he says, “but once we turned on the DDOS detection, we showed them beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were being attacked.” A high-quality MSSP will not only detect, but also help rebuff such an attack or help minimize the impact on a client’s network.

Because tech teams are always evolving to meet new challenges, it’s vital to work with a provider that understands how to interface with your organization. For example, given the increasing security needs and lack of available security talent, more and more companies are bringing their network and security teams together. Indeed, 91% of CIOs are increasing the integration of their network and security teams, according to a 2021 study by IDG and Comcast Business. That evolution affects what tech leaders need from their MSSP and how they seek it.

“It used to be, ‘Here are the network people, here are the IT people, and here are the security people,’ and you almost had to have three separate conversations,” says Capurro. “Today, it’s one conversation about how we will deliver the business end goal. We’ve adapted to interface with our customers how they want us to.”

Flexibility to fit your business

Lastly, the right MSSP for your company will be one that can adjust to fit your business, whether that means augmenting or simply changing the mix of services required. “As a managed security services provider, we can come in and help identify the right mix of services to address your specific security needs,” says Capurro. “We then work with businesses to design, implement and manage secure network solutions. And as a company grows, we can adjust to the changing business needs.”