Information technology (IT) professionals are constantly trying to prevent and protect against cyber threats. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), there were a total of 351,936 complaints with losses exceeding $2.7 billion in 2018. From email scams to corporate data breaches, the IC3 investigated an average of 964 complaints a day.

Due to the number of cyber threats every day, businesses now realize they need an advanced way to maintain protection. As a result, many businesses have turned to security-as-a-service (SECaaS) to help protect their data.

What is Security-as-a-Service?

SECaaS is a way to outsource complex security issues to a team of experts, allowing your IT department to focus on your core business competencies instead.

A simple example of SECaaS is an Internet-based anti-virus software. Instead of having cyber security solutions delivered and installed locally at your business, SECaaS providers charge a monthly subscription fee to protect your business’s apps, data and operations that run in the cloud.  

Advantages of Security-as-a-Service

There are several advantages to using SECaaS, including:

  • Cost-effectiveness: There’s no need to buy hardware or pay for software licenses.
  • Easy internal management: SECaaS lets you know who accesses your data and when that user views it.
  • Experienced professionals: Specialized IT security experts are readily available to address any of your concerns.
  • Most up-to-date security solutions: This ensures your software includes the latest security patches. 

Complement Security-as-a-Service with Proper Cyber Security Practices

Many IT professionals are wary of outsourcing security because it requires giving SECaaS providers some level of access to your data. To further protect your business data, implement these cyber security practices:

  • Enable multifactor identification. This security enhancement requires more than one credential when logging into an account. Users must obtain at least two different types of credentials, like a password and a fingerprint.
  • Password protect your business network. Update your Wi-Fi password regularly, and don’t give it out freely. Also, if you select a SECaaS solution that requires a password, choose one that's difficult to hack and change it often.
  • Vet SECaaS providers before you buy. Read reviews and ask cyber security questions about encryption policies, host options, back up and recovery plans and data center certifications to ensure you select a reliable solution.

Education is critical when it comes to any major investment. Do your research before you buy, ask other cyber security professionals for their opinion on services, understand how the technology works and implement the cyber security tips listed on our business blog.