The issue of tool sprawl can be a costly one for IT solution providers. For those that deliver managed security services for customers, the downside of using too many point solutions can be even greater. WatchGuard’s director of business development, Himanshu Verma, recently highlighted these risks in his latest guest article for ChannelPro Network.
Beyond the workflow inefficiencies, productivity losses, poor customer experiences and other costly consequences produced by general IT tool sprawl, deploying too many security solutions can cause managed service providers (MSPs) to miss vulnerabilities that could lead to serious cyber attacks for their customers. Here’s a brief excerpt from the article in which Himanshu outlines several steps MSPs can take to prevent it:
“Start by clearly identifying the scope and entities of coverage required before deploying a new security tool. It’s critical that you understand the various components of the IT infrastructure at hand—network, endpoint, wireless, identities, and so on—and map security coverage across individual use cases—users, applications, physical, virtual, etc. This will allow you to explore opportunities for consolidation when choosing the appropriate security solutions.
Next, consider taking a platform-based approach to security, leveraging connectors and integrations. Look for platforms that offer layered security services across multiple use cases with a wide breadth of coverage either natively or with seamless technology integrations.
Then, be sure to segment infrastructure based on intent. Logical segmentation can allow you to isolate critical assets. Network segmentation, micro-segmentation, and macro-segmentation will all allow you to establish a secure environment and limit the exposure in distributed environments.”
Read the full article at ChannelPro Network for more information on the perils of security tool sprawl, how MSPs can prevent it and why adopting a simplified, unified security platform is crucial for the security channel today. Stay tuned to Secplicity for more security news, analysis and best practices, and be sure to sign up for the Secplicity Email Newsletter to get the latest updates delivered straight to your inbox.