In our recent post, “5 Steps To Build Your Credit Union Cloud” we outlined a very deliberate and strategic path to move your credit union to the cloud. We explained how managed services are giving credit unions a new competitive advantage over those struggling to meet the increasing demands of operating complex IT infrastructures. The 5 steps were:
• Move to Managed Telecom
• Move to Managed Security (integrated locally and offsite)
• Move to Managed Disaster Recovery (offsite)
• Move to Hosted Servers
• Move to Service Bureau (core)
In today’s post we will take a close look at the options involved in moving to a “managed security” environment. And just as we shared in our managed telecom guide, you will want to gather as much information as you can regarding your contracts, expiration dates, terms and services so you will have a baseline from which to start your service/costs comparisons.
4 Key Managed Security Areas
Perimeter Security
Server and Workstation Tools
Management Tools
Compliance Labor
1) Perimeter Security Tools -Let me warn you, when you start talking security tools there are a lot of acronyms. Your perimeter tools (those protecting or providing that security “wall” if you will) are no exception. When gathering your data to compare a managed security service you’ll want to include the following:
- DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service)
- WAF (Web Application Firewall)
- Load Balancing
- IDS/IPS (Intrusion Detection/Intrustion Prevention)
- Firewall(s)
- VPNs (Virtual Private Networks)
- DLP (Data Loss Prevention)
- SOC/NOC/Monitoring (Security Operation Centers/Network Operation Centers)
- Web Filtering
- Penetration Testing (external)
I may have missed a few however if your credit union were able to right source even this small area, you can imagine the efficiency and workload relief to your IT staff. Plus, most managed service providers are experts in these areas whereas most credit unions are unable to build any real knowledge depth due to costs and small FTE/infrastructure ratios.
2) Server and Workstation Tools – When considering the move to managed security services there is one area that almost screams for attention. According to our advisory panel, simply keeping up with patching takes up to 80% of their time. Patches must be tested for compatibility with your environment and third party applications to minimize the chance of disrupting member service. By moving this function to a dedicated managed security provider, your staff can focus on more strategically aligned initiatives and innovative work. Gather as much information as you can regarding your contract services and terms on the following areas and then reach out to a qualified MSP to see if you’re a good candidate.
- Anti-Virus
- Windows Patching
- Application Patching
- Change Management Tracking
- Mobile Device Management Software
- Internal Penetration Test
- Secure Messaging
- Vulnerability Scanning
3) Management Tools – f you are like most credit union CIO’s, you’ve covered all the bases with the technologies needed to do the functions we pointed out above. And because of the complexity, you have also invested in management tools to help you oversee (and MANAGE) the sheer volume of data that can be mined from the logs of these tools. We’ve compiled a short list of the tools that you may be using to manage your security tools and encourage you to research/discuss the options you’ll have when moving to a managed service provider. At OGO, our clients are able to aggregate these tools with our CU-CONTROL to simplify the administrative duties and still maintain control over their infrastructure:
- SEIM
- Log Aggregation
- Help Desk
- Monitoring and SLA
- Backup Software Management Tools
- Inventory (HW,SW)
- Warranty Tracking
4) Compliance Labor – This is the most overlooked area when it comes to comparing managed services vs in-house. The time it takes to meet compliance standards/guidelines put out by NCUA, FFIEC and other bodies can quickly consume an IT department. Simply trying to keep up with AIRES IT Examination guidelines and FFIEC IT Handbook standards takes precious time away your teams security work and operational role. Think about how much time you spend prepping for and responding to audits and assessments. These are costs that cannot be overlooked:
- Solution Management
- Data Aggregation
- NCUA Reporting
We feel this is a good starting point for you to begin planning your move to managed security. We’d be glad to review each area in detail with you. Reach out to speak with our solutions engineers to get your free Total Cost Of Ownership today.
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