Server and PC giant Dell bought its way into the managed security space when it shelled out a fair bit of coin to buy SecureWorks, now known as Dell SecureWorks.
Little did Dell know that that Gartner would grace that subsidiary by choosing SecureWorks as the top Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) to watch in the research house’s “Market Trends: Managed Security Services, Worldwide, 2013” report.
Security is IT job 1, and going it alone is not always the best choice. Instead MSSPs are true experts in security and can apply what they know, and the volume of their experience and tools, to multiple clients.
“Enterprise buyers have recognized that various traditional security technologies based on signature match have become increasingly commoditized while newly emerging technologies to address these more advanced threats are gaining traction in the market,” Gartner said. “During Gartner interviews, several MSSPs have indicated plans to announce advanced threat protection appliances into their management and monitoring services portfolios while others have already announced support. Additionally, the specific MSS capabilities for analyzing large customer event datasets to identify key events, trends, behaviors or patterns, and develop threat countermeasures, will be key to whether MSSPs are relevant in future targeted attack conversations.”
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Overall, SecureWorks does device management, security monitoring, log management and scanning.
This past December, Dell came out with the ability to monitor and manage the FireEye Malware Protection System (MPS) appliance line. The aim is to block persistent threats such as phishing attacks.
This type of protection is more critical than even, Gartner indicates: “Security program managers need to develop a strategy for dealing with advance threats leveraging both tactical best-practice technology configurations and emerging technologies and incident response processes in order to properly address the most common advanced targeted attack scenarios to increase both detection and prevention capabilities.”
This isn’t SecureWorks’ first go round with Gartner. Last year Gartner chose SecureWorks as a “leader” in its Magic Quadrant for MSSPs, North America.
“As part of Dell, SecureWorks has easier access to resources to support ongoing service development and delivery capabilities, and accelerate expansion into other geographic regions.
The acquisition should enhance SecureWorks efforts to provide MSS, consulting and intelligence to small and midsize markets that are covered by Dell sales resources and to participate in large IT outsourcing engagements with Dell services,” Gartner concluded.
Dell’s MSP Play
Dell is certainly no stranger to the MSP space, having served them for years as partners. And nearly six years ago, Dell literally bought its way into the space when it acquired SilverBack Technologies, Inc.
SilverBack was focused on remote management for networks, applications and systems. Silverback had an incredibly rich set of services, especially at that point in the market. It offered management and monitoring of storage, networks, servers, notebooks and desktops, and sold “patch management and deployment, remote access, remote scripting, software distribution, file transfer, and desktop management solutions; and monitoring solutions, such as proactive monitoring, event management, security monitoring, knowledge base, dashboard, and alert management solutions.”
On the reports front, SilverBack had “executive reports, performance scorecards, security scorecards, monthly service reports, technical reports, and long-term trending reports; and hosted packages, including monitoring licenses, patch scanning and deployment, vulnerability scanning, reporting, remediation, product training, sales and marketing assistance, and maintenance and support.”
Edited by
Alisen Downey
