Managed Security Services

ISP-Planet Survey:
Managed Security Service Providers

ISP-Planet's biennial survey of MSSPs find that as industry consolidation continues apace, service providers are offering a greater variety of services beyond managed firewalls. This year, we see more standalone IDS and other security services.

by Lisa Phifer VP Core Competence, Inc. [May 9, 2003]

Managed security service providers (MSSPs) offer outsourced security to businesses, small and large. Managed firewall and virtual private network (VPN) services are widely available to control traffic between the Internet and a customer's network. Managed content filtering and anti-virus (AV) services are increasingly used to stop malware and spam from entering or leaving a customer's site. Managed intrusion detection (IDS) or prevention services help customers avoid/detect and respond to attacks, while vulnerability scanning services try to identify security holes before they can be exploited.

Of course, companies can deploy these measures in-house, installing commercial platforms and using IT department resources to support them. But many businesses cannot afford (or prefer not to employ) in-house resources or security expertise. In contrast, MSSPs dedicate entire organizations to deliver security services. They can also leverage economies of scale, like volume purchasing and 24/7 monitoring for many networks from a single network or security operations center (NOC, SOC). Although details vary widely, MSSPs typically assume responsibility for security system installation, provisioning, maintenance and monitoring, while customers retain (logical) control over their own security policies.

Delivering managed security services can be a tricky business. Reliability and reputation are paramount. MSSPs must be trusted to implement their customer's security policy correctly and to respect the customer's privacy. Procuring managed security services really means establishing a business partnership with your MSSP. It is therefore imperative to understand the business procedures that will be used to define and update your security policy, the measures that will be used to protect the privacy and integrity of your account, and the service commitments being made when you sign on the dotted line.

You wouldn't pick a surgeon from the phone book, but you might start a search by consulting a list that summarizes each doctor's practice and specialties. Similarly, the following survey describes what managed security services are and who provides them. It illustrates common features and "starter questions" to ask when searching for an MSSP to meet your own security needs.

Participating providers
This is the third biennial MSSP survey conducted by ISP-Planet. In 2001, 24 of 50 MSSPs participated in our security services survey. This year, 27 of 79 MSSPs invited to participate returned completed questionnaires.

This survey is not intended to be exhaustive. Our goal was to include a sampling of MSSPs, spanning regional, national and global providers, ranging from companies that focus only on security to those that provide a range of network services (including security). MSSPs that missed this year's survey but would like to participate next year should send us e-mail.

This table identifies the MSSPs participating in this year's survey, services offered and delivery area (regional, national, or international).

We saw significant market consolidation during the past two years. Many early MSSPs have withered on the vine or joined forces with another company. Nine MSSPs that participated in 2001 or asked to do so have since gone out of business. Several others were acquired, including Telenisus (acquired by Verisign), Exodus (now a Cable & Wireless company), Genuity (now a Level 3 Communications company), Intermedia Business Internet division (acquired by Allegiance Telecom), RipTech (acquired by Symantec) and Veritect (acquired by RedSiren).

In its 2H02 North American MSSP "Magic Quadrant" report, Gartner predicted continued consolidation in 2003, accelerating as network providers add security services through acquisition. Gartner projects that "the trust factor…will drive channel alliances and provide opportunities for smaller regional MSSPs to enter the market. However, most regional players will be acquired by larger, pure-play MSSPs and systems integrators."

This survey examines the services, features and trends that are fueling this dynamic Managed Security market. Participating MSSPs completed survey questionnaires between mid-March and April 1, 2003. Our results therefore represent a snapshot of services offered by these providers in 1Q03. Offerings like these are constantly evolving, as new features are added in response to changing demand and customer needs. If you don't spot a feature you are looking for, check with the MSSP.

In the following weeks, this survey will detail managed firewall, VPN, IDS, AV, filtering, and scanning services offered by these MSSPs. Tables will present service attributes supplied by MSSP-designated contacts.

Provider responses were summarized and reformatted to fit and to facilitate comparison. Note that we did not actually test these offerings; we cannot vouch for accuracy or completeness. All questions regarding services or features should be directed to the MSSP by following the URL given beneath that provider's name.

Next week, in Part 2, we will delve into the details of managed firewall and VPN offerings from the providers in our survey.

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