No abstract

Recent security breaches at ChoicePoint Inc., Lexis Nexis and Citicorp have again proven that the security administration is an important function within an organization. However, for some organizations, it is practically not possible to implement the security measures in-house due to lack of staff, expertise, technology, and time to attend the evolving security issues. Managed security services (MSS) can be the answer to their security needs. The paper is an overview of this evolving solution to the security. Companies are turning to managed security service providers for their security requirements. Managed security service providers (MSSP) are experts in security administration and provide a wide range of packages and services. The paper covers the different types of services offered by MSS providers. The paper discusses in detail benefits and risks associated with hiring a MSSP. Choosing a MSSP is a vital step and should be performed with due care. The paper provides some guidelines that a company could follow while choosing a provider and making a service level agreement with the provider. Finally, the paper covers ongoing management and review processes to assess the performance of a MSSP.