Managed security services: Addressing talent gap and enhancing efficiency for SEA businesses

Source – Kaspersky

Addressing the talent gap and enhancing efficiency for SEA businesses through managed security services

  • Southeast Asia remains to be the fastest growing digital economy in the Asia Pacific region.
  • Kaspersky’s latest report found that businesses in the SEA region are primarily outsourcing security functions to MSSPs in order to improve efficiency.

As the frequency of cyberattacks on businesses increases, organizations are investing in improving their security infrastructure to protect sensitive data and prevent financial losses and damage to their reputation. One solution is using managed security services (MSS), which involves outsourcing security tasks to third-party vendors cost-effectively and efficiently.

This option is becoming more popular as the complexity of information security tasks increases due to factors such as a growing number of mobile devices and cloud services, government regulations and more cybercrime.

According to Kaspersky’s latest IT Security Economics Report, Southeast Asian businesses increasingly turn to Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) to meet their cybersecurity needs. The report, which surveyed 3,230 companies across 26 countries, found that businesses in the region are primarily outsourcing security functions to MSSPs to improve efficiency (73.9%), address a shortage of IT employees (57.9%), and gain access to specialized security expertise (55.8%).

The MSSP market in Southeast Asia is expected to grow in the coming years as the region undergoes digital transformation. Kaspersky, a global cybersecurity company with over 25 years of experience, offers MSSP partnerships to vendors in the region, providing flexible and powerful tools to secure and manage customer infrastructures at any level of complexity.

Managed security services: Addressing talent gap and enhancing efficiency for SEA businesses

Source – Shutterstock

“Southeast Asia remains to be the fastest growing digital economy in the Asia Pacific region. Governments here have been taking bold steps to support local digitalization efforts and to strengthen the country’s data protection and cybersecurity capabilities. As local businesses here embrace digital transformation, it is parallel to needing comprehensive cybersecurity solutions and the right talent to manage their defenses,” comments Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia.

Addressing the talent gap in the APAC region.

With the recent job cuts, many workers seek to improve their skills and careers. Tech companies that offer opportunities for training and development may have an advantage in attracting this talent.

In the Asia-Pacific region, there is a high demand for professionals with expertise in cloud computing (29%), AI/machine learning (26%), and IT technicians (26%). IT decision-makers in the region also predict that the biggest skills gap in 2025 will be in AI/machine learning (28%), followed by cloud computing (26%) and AR/VR (24%).

Despite the growth of the cybersecurity workforce in the APAC region, a recent study has identified a shortage of 2.1 million qualified local security staff. The drive to digitalize the Southeast Asia region has also been hindered by the lack of cybersecurity experts with the expertise needed to effectively combat sophisticated cyber threats.

“For our part, we have been actively partnering with local universities to provide training and workshops to upskill their students and ensure their curriculum can meet the current industry demands. However, it will take years for these students to become cybersecurity professionals,” says Yeo.

Relying on a managed security service provider will bring benefits.

According to Yeo, working with a dependable provider of managed security services can provide companies with the necessary security expertise and tools. It can be a cost-effective way to outsource security functions if the provider is affiliated with a cybersecurity company with a proven history of identifying, addressing, and gathering intelligence on cyber threats.

Kaspersky for example offers a Managed Service Provider Partnership for outsourcing vendors in Southeast Asia. The partnership provides vendors with access to Kaspersky’s powerful and flexible tools, allowing them to secure, monitor and manage customer infrastructures at any level of complexity and sophistication. This includes core endpoint protection, advanced managed detection and response, and even threat hunting. The tool allows providers to offer their clients a wide range of services using Kaspersky’s technology.