Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting critical systems and sensitive information from digital attacks. Software as a Service (SaaS) for security is an outsourced service where an outside organization handles and manages your security. SaaS for security addresses the key security needs and concerns of organizations through the “5 Cs” of strategic importance to organizations1:
Change. Organizations operate in a world of constant change. Changes may include financial uncertainty, technological shifts, regulatory changes, globalization, and competitive threats. The SaaS for security delivery model makes it possible to respond to cybersecurity threats and changes quickly, as they are designed to be on top of the latest technologies and security capabilities. Outsourcing cybersecurity relieves managers of these additional threats to business, so that they may spend their time understanding and addressing the myriad other concerns that their organizations face in a changing world.
Compliance. Organizations must measure and report how they comply with policies and regulations. Compliance failures can result in data breaches, financial loss, cyberattacks, or even bodily harm. Many organizations oversee a multitude of physical computers and devices containing personal information and access to security controls, requiring a substantial investment in time, money, and attention to ensure proper management and compliance. SaaS for security simplifies enforcement of policies and audits for compliance with a centralized database and tracking and reporting tools.
Cost. Hardware and software investments are substantial, and likely reflect the current size and scope of an organization, with perhaps some extra investment in equipment for anticipate future growth. Beyond this investment there are operating expenses, maintenance expenses, and there are often excess resources that are incurring operating and maintenance costs that are not even being utilized. SaaS for security solutions provide an excellent alternative to traditional options as all users share a common computing infrastructure, the cost model is scalable with users only paying for what they actually use, there are no “back-end” management and maintenance expenses, and up-front capital expenditures are replaced with flat, subscription-based operational expenses.
Continuity. In order to prepare for disasters such as flood or fire, organizations routinely invest significantly in standby computers, back-up power sources, and disaster recovery locations so that they may return to business as quickly as possible. As we have learned through many disasters and a pandemic, disruptions to supply chains, infrastructure, as well as other critical business partners may interfere with those plans to recover quickly. SaaS for security solutions are poised to handle disasters swiftly and efficiently as they are often hosted in highly reliable data centers with built in redundancy, and they also may employ separate disaster recover centers to restore full operations if the primary center is disabled.
Coverage. SaaS for security solutions are ideal for geographically dispersed sites, as these types of installations are often fraught with vulnerabilities and complexities that result in extra expenses in traditional client/server solutions. SaaS for security solutions are preferable as they have low initial costs, wide scalability, and central oversight and management. A centrally hosted platform provides identity, device, and asset management, as well as alerts, alarms, email notifications, and general reporting.
1 Brivo, 2021, “The Five Cs of Security as a Service”