Why You Should Outsource Your IT Security

by / ⠀Career Advice• Startup Advice / December 1, 2020
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While some businesses try to manage all their IT security needs in-house, it’s often more advantageous to outsource these services. Hiring an IT security company to handle your security needs may cost a significant amount of money, but it’s likely less than you would pay a full-time team of your own—and you’ll be able to tap into a variety of benefits you can’t get with an in-house team.  So why is outsourcing so valuable with IT? 

The Seven Benefits

Here are a few of the top benefits of outsourcing your IT security: 

1. Identify threats proactively. 

First, hiring an IT security firm is one of the best ways to identify threats proactively. In the United States, the average total cost of a data breach has climbed to $8.64 million, and all it takes is a single vulnerability to lead to such an outcome. Working with an IT security firm gives you a much better chance of identifying weaknesses ahead of time and patching them before it’s too late. 

2. Get an outsider’s perspective. 

You may have a handful of IT experts on your team already, responsible for designing and executing your security strategy. However, they may be too close to your systems to see the flaws. After all, it’s easier to see the flaws in another person’s work than it is to see flaws in your own. Working with an IT security company gives you access to an outsider’s perspective; someone outside your company will have a chance to review your efforts  and analyze them. Accordingly, you’ll have a higher chance of detecting weaknesses you may have missed the first time around. 
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3. Tap into more expertise. 

IT security companies tend to employ people with significant security and IT experience. They have people who specialize in specific areas, and people with decades of experience. Hiring an IT security company allows you to tap into all these experts at once, giving you a chance to get more inspiring ideas, better insights, and better overall talent. 

4. Save money. 

Hiring an IT security company can actually save you money in the long-term. Depending on the services you’re using and the type of arrangement you have, you may pay thousands of dollars per month (or more) for IT services. However, when compared to the salaries of the full-time employees you’d need to hire for similar work, this is inexpensive. Additionally, working with an IT security company can prevent you from ever suffering a data breach or another major security threat, saving you millions of dollars in costs. 

5. Save time. 

While it may take some time to find an IT security company you trust, once you find one, you’ll be able to save significant time on your strategy. You won’t need to spend nearly as much time thinking about your IT approach or your security vulnerabilities, and you won’t need a team of people on staff 24/7 to monitor your systems; instead, you can delegate to your IT security firm, and spend your time on more important matters. 

6. Hold someone else accountable. 

Outsourcing your IT security is also a way to hold someone else accountable for your security. If there’s ever a breach or a security concern, your IT security firm will step up and attempt to handle it. They’ll take full responsibility, and do whatever it takes to resolve the problem.  
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7. Remain flexible. 

Outsourcing also gives you more flexibility. You can change your IT security plan or your enlisted services according to how your needs change; this means you can grow together, or collaborate as partners until you find the perfect balance. Most firms will be more than willing to work with you to find the perfect combination of services. 

Finding the Right Partner

The benefits of outsourcing are contingent upon your ability to find the right partner. If you pay too much for services, or if those services don’t fulfill all your needs, you could end up in an even worse position than before. Accordingly, it’s not enough to simply outsource your IT security; you need to outsource to an experienced, reputable agency.  Do your due diligence when hiring an IT security partner. Take a look at their experience, their areas of expertise and core competencies, and past reviews and testimonials from other clients. It’s also a good idea to conduct a few interviews and get a feel for how they communicate with clients.  Once you find the right partner, you’ll be ready to improve your IT security for the better, long-term. This is one of the most important investments you can make in your business, so it’s not a decision to take lightly. 

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About The Author

Becca Williams is the editor of SmallBizTechnology.com.

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