Aberdeen Group: Best-in-Class Companies Use Managed Security Services

BOSTON, MA – February 8, 2008 – New research from Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE:HHS), reveals that the organizations getting the best security performance include some managed security services as part of their defense. The new report, “Best Practices in Choosing and Consuming Managed Security Services,” provides insight gleaned from close to 200 survey respondents, supplemented with in-depth interviews with veteran consumers of managed security services.

 

"These findings are significant because they reflect a shift in market awareness. Often organizations have been turning to managed security services to help with compliance issues, or reduce the management associated with maintaining ongoing security or to reduce their costs,” said Carol Baroudi, research director in the IT Security practice at Aberdeen. "The market is realizing that some kinds of security are better delivered from a managed security services provider (MSSP) that has visibility into security events across networks and across a spectrum of customers, allowing for earlier detection and earlier prevention. Additionally, the availability of certain kinds of security services on demand makes stronger security affordable to organizations that may not have the resources to deploy it in-house."

 

Best-in-class organizations report fewer security incidents, fewer malware infections, fewer incidents of data loss, greater reduction in fraud, fewer failed audits, and greater reduction in help desk costs associated with security events. This Aberdeen report details the strategies, actions, and capabilities Best-in-class organizations employ as well as the enabling technologies they choose – including the managed security services deployed most by the Best-in-Class – to obtain their superior performance against various security performance metrics. Organizations reported a wide spectrum of experience with MSSPs and were forthcoming about the lessons they’ve learned, and the steps they employed to assure success.

 

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: ChosenSecurity, MXLogic, Perimeter, St. Bernard, SecureWorks®, and Virtela. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=4581.

 

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

 

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-oninvestment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to AberdeenTM for insights that drive decisions.

 

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information – Opportunity – Insight – Engagement – Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.