By Toby Weir-Jones, Vice President of Product Development, Managed Security Solutions Group, BT Global Services

Security outsourcing is booming, according to Forrester Research report, “Market Overview: Managed Security Services,”  and it is estimated to be a $4.5 billion market in 2010 and beyond.

For years, companies have looked for ways to cut costs, and outsourcing all aspects of the IT department is common.  With managed security services, though, the equation changes.

From security event monitoring to content filtering and threat intelligence, cost cutting isn’t the only factor considered any longer.  Today, according to the report, improving quality, competency and time of security coverage are now the chief drivers.

Through outsourcing, the fact that a company can significantly increase network security without hiring half a dozen people or spending a fortune is impossible to ignore.  On the other hand, stories of managed security companies going out of business, and bad experiences with outsourcing other areas of IT, show that selecting the wrong outsourcer can be a costly mistake.

At the foundation of the decision, truly, is trust.  Talking with others and asking industry analysts will reveal the best and most trustworthy security service providers.  Here are some other considerations:

• Be cautious of companies that sell only their own products along with services – look for an outsourcer that is vendor agnostic.
• Be sure the outsourcer offers 24×7 coverage by experts whose training and availability is guaranteed and who can see a global perspective.
• Ask about economies of scale to ensure your outsourcer can support your needs, no matter how large they may be.

In general, we outsource things that have one of three characteristics: they’re complex, important, or distasteful. Computer security is all three.  Its distastefulness comes from the difficulty, the drudgery and the 3 a.m. alarms.  Its complexity comes out of the intricacies of modern networks, the rate at which threats change and attacks improve, and ever-evolving network services.  And its importance comes from this fact of today’s business world — companies have no choice but to keep their networks open to the Internet and to a myriad of devices.

What were the considerations your company made when choosing a managed security provider?