Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems, networks, and data from unauthorized release or malicious hackers. While many companies can implement their own security measures, cybersecurity service providers (CSSPs) offer cybersecurity services as solutions for smaller companies.
What are Cybersecurity Services?
Cybersecurity services are processes from a third party that implement controls to achieve security in a company. These normally take the form of hardware or software mechanisms that protect data stored in an information system. The services a company needs are determined by their specific control objectives.
Controls can be preventative to avoid cyber incidents, detective to discover them when they do happen, or remediative to correct controls that aren’t performing optimally. When an organization has the appropriate controls in place, they are less susceptible to data breaches.
Cybersecurity Service Providers (CSSPs)
Some companies have an internal cybersecurity team that can implement security measures. However, many small businesses can’t afford the personnel, time, and equipment necessary to do so. As a result, these small businesses often either forgo security efforts, assign cyber tasks to IT employees, or find individual point solutions as needed.
Alternatively, CSSPs offer managed services. The outsourced monitoring and management of cybersecurity services like documentation writing, incident response capability, and endpoint protection can break down common barriers to securing information systems.
Advantages of Cybersecurity Services
There are a few key advantages to outsourcing cybersecurity services over building an in-house cybersecurity program:
You Will Pay Less
Lower costs are the most prominent advantage to outsourcing cybersecurity services. Implementing cybersecurity controls is naturally a costly undertaking. However, standardizing and automating solutions allow CSSPs to pass savings on to their clients. Providers can reduce overhead by delivering these solutions to multiple customers at one time.
Some CSSPs go further to offer comprehensive packages of multiple services that a business may need to be compliant with regulations or simply improve their cyber hygiene. In this way, outsourced services can act as a complete cybersecurity program. Comprehensive solutions like CyberSecure 360 provide a cybersecurity program as a service for one fixed, monthly cost.
You Will Have Skilled Cybersecurity Professionals
Many small business owners erroneously assign cybersecurity tasks to information technology (IT) employees, thinking the two fields are interchangeable. However, outside of their shared technical background, IT and cybersecurity roles aren’t that similar.
- IT deals with maintaining and fixing problems with different internal hardware and software.
- Cybersecurity protects a company’s information system from external cyber threats like hackers and ransomware.
Thus, many cyber capabilities are outside the skillset of IT employees, and treating them as equal can overload IT teams and result in subpar security.
On the other hand, CSSPs offer access to dedicated cybersecurity professionals that work hand in hand with IT professionals. They know what processes and technology to use to mitigate a company’s individual security risks. They can also help bring a company to their compliance requirements with minimal cost and time spent on researching, gathering, and troubleshooting solutions.
Accuracy and efficacy are of the utmost importance when it comes to security. This is especially true for companies that store, create, or transmit sensitive government information. The unauthorized disclosure of data in this case could have national security implications. Experienced CSSPs can implement proven processes, technology, and continuous monitoring to ensure security controls are working well.
You Will Have More Time to Focus on Your Business
Some smaller businesses have also assigned a non-technical employee to find solutions for compliance requirements. While perceived cost or time savings is often the incentive for doing so, just finding individual solutions to remediate gaps in Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance in-house could take a non-technical person months.
Luckily, larger security tasks that can prove too expensive and time-consuming for many and can be outsourced in the same way IT services often are. Not only does outsourcing to a CSSP allow a business to save money, it also leads to streamlined implementation. Standardized cybersecurity services from one source instead of many third-party solutions free businesses up to focus on other important objectives.
Note: Many cybersecurity service providers claim to offer comprehensive compliance, but only operate as advisory consultants, leaving clients to complete remediation largely on their own.
CyberSecure 360 is an all-in-one NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC compliance program at a fraction of the cost of DIY options. Choose from five cost-effective packages of 23 turnkey cybersecurity services, all including POA&M, SSP, and Policies & Standards.
Cybersecurity Services for CMMC Compliance
Managed services make it easier for smaller defense contractors to achieve and maintain security requirements, such as CMMC or NIST SP 800-171. There are several types of services to address these requirements, ranging from documentation to processes and hardware configuration.
Many CSSPs offer cybersecurity services to help organizations reach CMMC compliance more efficiently. CMMC requires 110 controls to be met to comply at Level 2 along with the documentation required to show the implementation of controls.
Listed below are cybersecurity services that companies can utilize to achieve CMMC compliance with the control requirements that they remediate.
Services listed are from InfoDefense’s comprehensive CyberSecure 360 CMMC compliance packages. Learn more.
Services | Definition | CMMC Domain | CMMC Controls |
|---|---|---|---|
Mobile Device Management | Used to provide a workforce mobile productivity tools and applications while keeping CUI secure. | Access Control (AC) System and Communications Protection (SC) | |
Vulnerability Management | Threat and vulnerability monitoring, testing, and closed loop remediation to ensure systems remain in a consistently secure state. | Risk Assessment (RA) System and Information Integrity (SI) | |
Risk Assessment | The yearly process of identifying risks including documenting the flow, identifying threats, evaluating safeguards, and the reporting of CUI and FCI. | Risk Assessment (RA) | |
Endpoint Protection | The protection of computer networks that are remotely bridged to client devices including malware protection, vulnerability testing, web content filtering, and VPN connectivity. | System and Communications Protection (SC) | 3.13.1 – Boundary Protection |
Encryption Key Management | The protection and active management of cryptographic keys that can be used to access CUI. | System and Communications Protection (SC) | |
Real-time System Security Monitoring | The process of setting up alerts for, collecting, and analyzing potential security threats on an ongoing basis. | Security Assessment (CA) System and Information Integrity (SI) | |
Security Assessment | The identification of physical, administrative, and technical vulnerabilities affecting the security of CUI and FCI. Yearly assessments also determine the extent to which CMMC controls are implemented correctly. | Security Assessment (CA) | |
Network Perimeter Protection | Technology that protects a corporate network from the internet and other untrusted networks by denying access to unauthorized people. | System and Communications Protection (SC) | |
Security Awareness | Security awareness training and simulated phishing to introduce security best practices and guide employee behavior. | Awareness and Training (AT) | |
Windows Baseline Configuration & Audit | Maintaining secure and consistent workstation configurations through Microsoft 365 features. | Configuration Management (CM) | |
File Storage Encryption | Encryption of stored data to protect CUI. | System and Communications Protection (SC) | |
Multi-factor Authentication | Electronic authentication method in which a user is granted access to a website application after successfully presenting two or more pieces of evidence to an authentication mechanism: knowledge, possession, and inherence | Identification and Authentication (IA) Maintenance (MA) | |
Security Policies & Standards | Security plans and practices that regulate access to an organization’s system and data. | All Domains | Almost All Controls |
Email Encryption | Disguising the content of email messages in order to protect sensitive information while in transit. | System and Communications Protection (SC) | |
Incident Response | An incident response capability that includes planning, training, and tools to aid in responding to cyber incidents. | Incident Response (IR) | |
System Security Plan | A document that provides an overview of the security requirements and describes the security controls in place or planned for meeting those requirements | Security Assessment (CA) | |
Plan of Action & Milestones | A document that identifies gaps in compliance and the plan to remediate them to reach CMMC compliance. | Security Assessment (CA) | |
Configuration Management Database | A database to track system configurations and hardware and software assets. | Configuration Management (CM) |
Source: CMMC Level 2 Assessment Guide
CyberSecure 360 Service Packages
The necessary controls a company needs to become CMMC compliant vary based on their specific objectives and existing security efforts. To learn more about a turnkey cybersecurity services solution for your business, click the link below.
Sources
https://www.infodefense.com/cybersecure360compliance/
https://www.acq.osd.mil/cmmc/docs/AG_Level2_MasterV2.0_FINAL_202112016_508.pdf
