Security as a Service, or SECaaS, is a third-party IT security service that businesses can use in place of their own on-premises security tools and teams. SECaaS can be as simple as antivirus software over the internet or as complicated as turning over an organization’s entire security infrastructure to a managed service provider.
SECaaS saves organizations the cost of a major upfront investment in security software and hardware, instead paying for services from cloud providers on a subscription basis, similar to a Software as a Service (SaaS) business model.
SECaaS has as many possible variations as there are security technologies. A business might turn to a SECaaS provider to make up for a lack of staff in a single area. SECaaS might be used for a specific purpose, say email or endpoint security or firewall management. A small business might use a security service provider to monitor security and respond to incidents on nights and weekends.
Benefits of Security as a Service
SECaaS offers organizations many benefits, including:
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An easy way to get the latest and greatest security tools, as service providers must keep their tools up to date and patched to maintain their business reputation and meet customer requirements
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Access to security experts as needed, while leaving pay and hiring to the service provider
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Saving on security costs by subscribing to only the services an organization needs, when they’re needed
Outsourcing security can also free up an organization’s employees to focus on higher-value strategic initiatives.
Choosing a SECaaS Provider
Businesses must still put in work to choose the best possible SECaaS provider for them by examining a service provider’s availability, response times, reputation, cost, services offered, and more.
