Security: insource, outsource or use the force?

Stephen Withers
Saturday, 31 May 2008 08:26

Your IT - Home IT

While some companies do like to choose multiple security outsource partners, such as one for security assessments and another to deliver the services as we mentioned on the previous page, some companies also have the desire for "one throat to choke", meaning they choose a systems integrator to co-ordinate the work carried out by the external providers.

Unfortunately, when things go wrong, this may simply mean plenty of throats being choked all the way down the line while you sit there with a security breach and, in your customers’ minds, egg squarely on your face, not that of your faceless outsourced security provider.

When it comes to SMEs, Sharat Sinha, director of operations for Cisco Asia Pacific says "it's quite common" to outsource security needs. "There are a lot of solutions available today," he adds.

Furthermore, telcos are well placed to offer security services to SME customers due to their existing relationships, according to Pollack. Smaller businesses simply do not have the staff to look after their own security.

But Siow-Meng Soh, senior analyst at Current Analysis, warns this is a very competitive market and customers do have a choice of providers. Consequently, telcos need to listen to what customers want and deliver appropriate service levels.

That competition is not just between local telcos and systems integrators, according to Pollack. The presence of BT and Verizon in Asia shows that existing customer relationships do not provide a guarantee of additional business, he warns.

The good news for organisations is that this extra competition for their security business is helping to drive up service levels.

So, what are the final pieces of the puzzle? Please read on to page 3.