Outsourcing your SIEM requirements is often seen as the most balanced option. Having a third-party manage your monitoring responsibilities can be a robust and affordable approach to security. As with buying, services will differ from vendor to vendor, but the benefits of outsourcing remain consistent.

Benefits:

• Affordable retainer-based service with no large upfront fees
• Access to experienced staff all year round
• Deployment and reconfigurations managed by a trusted third party
• No hardware appliances or support contracts to manage
• Access to a wider variety of threat intelligence
• Proactive threat hunting
• Immediate access to updates as and when they’re produced – often at no extra cost
• Native integration with cloud and other modern infrastructures

Drawbacks:

• You are one of many customers
• Action is reliant on effective communication
• Limited reconfiguration options you can undertake yourself
• Lack of control over software platform

The outsourced model is gaining significant traction in the industry thanks to its affordability and comprehensive suite of value-added services. Combatting the drawbacks of outsourcing can be achieved by selecting the right partner. Carefully evaluate your shortlist of vendors, as you’ll be entirely reliant on them for effective escalation and on-going tuning of the services. Select the vendor that provides you with the most confidence that they can be a trusted security provider for your organisation.