What Is Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS)?

Security-as-a-Service (SECaaS) is a cloud-based method of outsourcing your cybersecurity. Outsourced security can cover data protection, VoIP security, database security, and general network security.  All of these can help an organization combat SECaaS threats, such as malware and botnets.

SECaaS is an increasingly popular data security solution for corporations because it is easier to scale as the business grows. It also makes it possible to circumvent the expense of establishing an elaborate on-premises security architecture.

Because you are subscribing to a cloud-based service, you can choose the subscription tier that fits your needs. In this way, you avoid overspending on security services that carry little or no benefit for your organization.

With SECaaS, you get experienced, knowledgeable security experts, whereas if you use your in-house team, they may lack specific knowledge or be stretched so thin with other initiatives that they cannot focus on cybersecurity the way you need them to.

With a subscription to a SECaaS provider, you do not have to worry about whether you have the most recent tools and updates because the provider constantly installs the most recent iterations of security software. In addition, if a new tool appears on the landscape, they are more likely to be aware of it than an internal cybersecurity team.

With a SECaaS offering, you can scale up or down quickly, deploying security measures according to your needs at will. You simply tell the provider which security services you need, and they can roll them out.

With SECaaS, you can manage who has access to which areas of your network and which applications. This way, people can be limited to using only what they need to do their jobs.

With SECaaS in place, your IT team, chief information officer (CIO), and chief technology officer (CTO) can focus on meeting other organizational objectives. The day-to-day management of cybersecurity events and protective measures is taken off your hands, giving your tech professionals more time to help the organization grow.

Even though most solutions that involve cloud computing provide you with near-constant availability of network tools and systems, you want to make sure the security team itself is available to address questions or concerns. If they have very limited online availability or heavily depend on an answering service, you may want to explore other options.

The time it takes for a provider to respond can make the difference between a relatively minor event and one that impacts your entire organization. Ask plenty of questions regarding their response times to a variety of security events, as well as normal client inquiries.

A strong SECaaS provider will have partnerships with vendors that provide effective, cutting-edge security technologies. This enables them to have access to and implement the most powerful tools for your needs.

A disaster recovery plan is a key element of business continuity and can save you thousands in the event of an interruption. Your SECaaS solution should provide disaster recovery options that can be custom-tailored to your organization’s needs.