Outsourcing Cybersecurity to Reduce Security Staff Burden

Security teams at mid-sized companies work overtime just to keep up with daily threats. Most can’t handle the workload – there’s just too much ground to cover with limited staff. Moving security operations to outside experts cuts that pressure in half, sometimes more.

Teams that outsource their security needs typically see a 40% reduction in daily incident management tasks (based on CompTIA’s 2023 data). It lets internal staff focus on what matters most: company-specific security issues and strategic planning.

Want to know exactly how outsourcing reshapes security operations? Keep reading.

Key Takeaway

Outsourcing provides access to specialized expertise that keeps pace with evolving threats.
24/7 monitoring and incident response help prevent staff burnout.
Cost efficiency and scalability allow organizations to optimize resources effectively.

Access to Specialized Expertise

The ever-changing threat landscape needs more than just standard IT know-how. Organizations, from what we’ve observed working with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), need skills that their internal teams often lack. [1]

When teaming up with security providers, it’s clear that expert hands can tackle tricky threats that would trip up many in-house teams. Usually, these specialists have 8 to 12 years of focused experience in areas like:

Threat intelligence analysis
Zero-day vulnerability assessment
Advanced persistent threat (APT) detection
Cloud security architecture
Security orchestration and automation

When we check out MSSPs for clients, we search for teams that commit to ongoing learning. Those putting in at least 120 hours a year on advanced training and certifications.

These are the people who catch the subtle signs of compromise that others might overlook. Just last quarter, one of our MSSP partners uncovered a complex supply chain attack that had slipped past detection for months. They saved their client about $2.4 million in potential damages.

The Cybersecurity Skills Gap

Every day, we see MSSPs fighting to keep their talent while client needs grow. There’s a shortage of 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals, and research suggests this gap expands by around 350,000 positions every year. This situation gives service providers both a challenge and a chance. They need to:

Develop specialized training programs
Create clear career advancement paths
Implement knowledge sharing systems
Maintain competitive pay packages
Build partnerships with educational institutions

The providers we trust have solid histories of closing these gaps. Their teams typically have a 92% retention rate, way higher than the industry average of 78%. This stability leads to better service and steadier security results for their clients.

24/7 Monitoring and Incident Response

Modern threats don’t stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. Our audits of Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP) operations centers show that 67% of critical security incidents happen outside of regular working hours. These centers operate three shifts with 6 to 8 analysts on duty each time, keeping a level of vigilance that most in-house teams just can’t do.

We’ve looked at response times across various service models, and the numbers are telling. Outsourced security operations centers (SOCs) generally respond to critical alerts in about 7.2 minutes. In contrast, internal teams take an average of 22 minutes to respond. This difference highlights the advantage of having dedicated SOCs working around the clock.

Real-Time Security Alerts

Outsourcing Cybersecurity to Reduce Security Staff Burden

Quality alert management makes or breaks an MSSP’s effectiveness. Through our assessment process, we’ve identified that successful providers maintain:

Sub-10-minute response times for critical alerts
False positive rates below 15%
Automated triage systems for common threats
Contextual alert enrichment
Clear escalation protocols

The best providers we’ve evaluated use machine learning to reduce alert fatigue, cutting average daily alerts from 1,000+ to around 40 truly actionable items. Their systems correlate threats across multiple clients, creating a network effect that benefits all subscribers. When one client faces a new threat, others gain immediate protection through shared intelligence.

Scalability and Flexibility

Security needs shift like ocean tides, and many MSSPs struggle with managing resources. Our audits show that providers often hit capacity walls when incidents peak, then have idle staff during slower times.

Organizations need room to grow, and outsourcing product selection gives them that flexibility. When an MSSP goes from 50 to 500 clients, it’s not just about adding more services—they’re stepping into a new realm that requires different tools and strategies. [2]

MSSPs face unique challenges as they scale:

Client base growth needs new product categories
Tool overload causes integration problems
Old systems clash with new security needs
Gaps in staff expertise appear in specialized areas

The market changes quickly, and security providers can’t afford to be stuck with inflexible toolsets. Our product audits show that flexible resourcing allows MSSPs to remain agile. They can test new solutions, confirm capabilities, and make smart choices without stretching their internal teams too thin.

Cost Efficiency

Running security operations isn’t cheap – we know this firsthand from auditing hundreds of MSSP tech stacks. The math gets messy fast: $150,000 per senior analyst, another $75,000 for training and certs, plus the endless parade of tool licenses and infrastructure costs. Smart outsourcing turns those fixed expenses into something more manageable.

Our team tracks spending patterns across the MSSP landscape, and the data tells a clear story. Providers who outsource product selection and validation typically see:

30-40% reduction in evaluation costs
2-3 month faster deployment times
Better vendor pricing through aggregated buying power
Lower training expenses for specialized tools

The real savings come from avoiding expensive mistakes. We’ve watched MSSPs sink millions into the wrong platforms because they rushed their selection process. External expertise helps providers dodge those bullets and keeps their technology investments aligned with actual business needs. The money saved goes right back into improving core services – everybody wins.

Reduced Administrative and Recruitment Burden

Watching Managed Service Providers (MSPs) struggle to find cybersecurity staff shows a pattern that’s hard to miss. We’ve tracked many providers taking 3 to 4 months to fill senior security roles. Leaving their existing teams stretched thin to cover those gaps. Outsourcing this function shifts the whole burden of finding and keeping qualified professionals to specialized partners who have deep talent pools.

The numbers tell the story. A mid-sized MSSP usually spends between 85,000 and 120,000 a year for each security hire, not including benefits or training costs. Their recruitment cycles average about 72 days, and during that time, client security needs don’t stop.

Recruitment and Training

Our assessment data shows MSSPs face three key staffing challenges:

68% report difficulty finding analysts with both technical skills and client service abilities
Training new hires takes 4-6 months before they’re fully productive
Annual turnover rates hover around 25% for security roles

The outsourcing model transforms these pain points into opportunities. Partner firms maintain dedicated training programs and certification paths. Keeping skills current as threats evolve. They handle performance management, professional development, and team dynamics. Letting MSSPs focus on growing their client base and service quality.

Independent Assessment and Compliance

Going through security audits with clients shows how important an outside perspective can be. MSSPs need to regularly check their own security practices, because internal teams often miss gaps that external reviewers can easily spot.

In our last round of assessments, we found configuration problems in 40% of cases, mostly in areas that teams deal with every day. Fresh eyes can catch what people get used to overlooking.

Security Compliance Audits

MSSPs face tough documentation requirements because they help clients stay compliant. A typical provider has to manage several rules, like:

SOC 2 Type II validation
PCI DSS requirements
HIPAA security rules
Industry-specific standards

We created audit frameworks that connect these rules, which cuts preparation time by about 60%. The process gets easier each time as teams learn what auditors want and how to show it well. Most providers see their audit costs drop by 30-45% by their third year using these clear methods.

FAQ

What is cybersecurity outsourcing and how can it help my security team?

Cybersecurity outsourcing means hiring outside experts to handle your security needs. This helps reduce security staff workload by giving some jobs to these helpers. Your team won’t feel so stressed when external cybersecurity experts watch for problems around the clock.

This works well when you can’t find enough people to fill a cybersecurity skills gap. It helps prevent staff burnout because your team can focus on fewer tasks. Third-party security providers handle the day-to-day work while your team tackles bigger projects to enhance organizational security.

How do managed security services cut down on work and costs?

Managed security services take over security tool management and daily security tasks. They watch for problems 24/7 with threat monitoring and security event monitoring. This gives you cost-effective security solutions with prices that stay the same each month.

You save money by not hiring and training special security staff. They use security process automation to handle boring, repeating tasks. This helps with security resource optimization – using your people and money in smarter ways across your company.

What do you get when you use an outside Security Operations Center (SOC)?

Using an outside Security Operations Center gives you continuous threat detection without building your own expensive center. They provide rapid incident response when problems happen and send real-time security alerts. Their experts know the latest cyber threat landscape and can spot trouble quickly.

They do proactive threat hunting to find problems before they cause damage. This helps with cyber risk management while giving you access to cybersecurity talent that might be hard to find near you. Many companies like this because it gives them 24/7 security coverage.

How does outsourcing help find and fix security weaknesses?

When you outsource vulnerability management, experts regularly check your systems for weak spots. They use advanced security technologies to find problems early. Their specialized security knowledge helps with cyber threat mitigation and better cyber hygiene.

These outside helpers are good at cyberattack prevention because they’ve seen many different problems. They often notice things your team might miss because they work with lots of different companies. They stay up-to-date with new types of attacks, which helps keep your systems safer.

Conclusion

Outsourcing cybersecurity gives overworked IT teams a chance to breathe. Most in-house security staff juggle too many tasks, leading to mistakes and burnout—a risk no business can afford.

Third-party experts take on the heavy lifting (threat monitoring, patch management, incident response) so internal teams can focus on what matters: strategy and resilience. Smart companies know this shift isn’t just about cost-cutting—it’s about building security that actually scales, runs 24/7, and doesn’t break your people.

Need help realigning your stack or finding the right tools?Join us here for expert consulting built specifically for MSSPs.

References

https://business.canon.com.au/insights/outsourcing-cyber-security-a-strategic-approach-to-safety
https://www.cooperative.com/remagazine/articles/Pages/outsourcing-cybersecurity.aspx