MDR vs MSSP: Why choose a MDR for your business

What is a MSSP ?

MSSPs focus on the management and security of the IT assets. MSSPs center their work more on the management of security consoles and the availability and administration of security alerts.

The goal? To ensure that consoles remain functional, up-to-date and that raw information is passed on to the appropriate personnel in the event of a security alert.

There are a variety of tools available, such as log management systems (SIEM), firewall configuration, etc. However, the MSSP is not ideal when it comes to threat detection and response. Without the ability to detect and respond to any threat, the enterprise is exposed to exponential risks. To secure and monitor their networks from all angles, organizations need to have a cost-effective security operations center (SOC).

MSSPs do not eliminate threats as this solution is focused on prevention. It is up to the customer to manage the threat when it is detected.

Benefits of MSSP:

• Controls the management of remote devices
• Provides monitoring that doesn't require a lot of cybersecurity expertise

Disadvantages of MSSP:

• Limited security skills (if any) for threat triage and analysis
• Limited security incident response capabilities

What is MDR?

Managed Detection and Response aims to detect and respond to cyberthreats as quickly as possible. Being a fairly new service, managed detection and response focuses on securing an organization's data and network. MDR is a service that combines human expertise with technology to monitor, detect and respond to potential threats.

With digital transformation fully underway in most organizations, it’s no surprise we are seeing an increase in cyberattacks (article in french) and an evolution in their complexity, especially with the telecommuting due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The MDR service enables a proactive approach to cybersecurity. MDRs first focuses on detection by identifying elements that could put the organization at risk. The "response" aspect refers to the resulting recommendations that will be issued to the company.

This service significantly reduces threat detection time (up to 99% with StreamScan MDR). According to a Ponemon report, most companies take up to 206 days to detect and identify a data breach. If you look at it with an MDR, that can be reduced to seconds.

MDR Benefits:

• 24/7 monitoring of suspicious activity and cyberattacks targeting the organization
• Support and treatment of attacks
• Recommendations to mitigate cyber attacks
• Investigation and response to incidents
• Management of security vulnerabilities
• Coaching by cybersecurity experts to continuously improve the security of your organization

MDR VS MSSP - Why choose MDR

MDR is often referred to as MSSP 2.0, but you may be wondering how this comparison between the two comes about. In reality, either one can be effective. The choice depends on the organization and the needs to be met. MSSPs are very popular and can be useful when you are looking for basic security. MSSPs work in a reactive mode, and therefore MSSP analysts only intervene when a security alert is generated, which means that the attack is already known. However, more and more unknown attacks (commonly called zero-day) are appearing and are complex to detect.

MDR goes deeper by relying on technology and human expertise to detect and analyze threats and respond to attacks. Security management is done proactively, and the goal is to detect problems before they occur. To do this, MDR relies on threat hunters who scan for suspicious movements in your network, analyze them and make recommendations to mitigate them as quickly as possible.

MDR offers deeper monitoring and, more importantly, solutions to detect threats. With its 24/7 monitoring, it is the most comprehensive resource combining humans, technology, and AI. True MDR services are also harder to find since few providers offer this service. StreamScan is one of them specializing in serving medium-sized enterprises in Quebec and Canada.

Protect yourself with StreamScan's MDR

• 100% network coverage: Firewalls, threat feeds, and other defensive cybersecurity measures can only catch a fraction of the attacks targeting your network. Our CDS (cyberthreat detection technology) monitors all of your machines and provides the most effective and comprehensive protection, identifying network anomalies in seconds using artificial intelligence.
• Accelerate response and remediation: With our MDR solution, our team of cybersecurity experts is ready to respond to any security alert within minutes, sometimes seconds. This significantly reduces the risk and potential cost of any intrusion or compromise.
• Highest levels of protection at a lower cost: To achieve the same level of network coverage and response time provided by StreamScan's MDR solution, you would need to hire at least three cybersecurity specialists, purchase a security software license, and set up an infrastructure. Alternatively, you could work with a managed service provider (MSSP) whose services are geared toward large enterprises and cost hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. StreamScan's MDR is your outsourced cybersecurity service that provides you with next-level security at a fraction of the cost.

Find out how our CDS and MDR service can keep your network secure

We're confident that after seeing the results of our monitoring, you won't want to leave your network unprotected. That's why we offer a free 30-day evaluation that includes:

• An information session
• Configuration of the CDS in your network
• Free 30-day evaluation and proof of value

Need Help? StreamScan is Here.

Whether you need help conducting a security audit, developing a security plan, or implementing a Managed Detection and Response solution, StreamScan has experts with years of experience in the manufacturing sector who can help. Get in touch with us at smbsecurity@streamscan.ai or call us at 1 877-208-9040.