Network operations center provider IT By Design and SKOUT Cybersecurity, a Top 250 MSSP with Security Operations Center (SOC) expertise, have partnered to introduce ITBD Shield for MSPs.
The service is designed to "resolve common issues with monitoring, managing, and remediating security that can bog down an MSP’s service to customers and overwhelm their engineering teams."
The options blend IT By Design's NOC (network operations center) and SKOUT's SOC expertise. Also, ITBD Shield has a per-site pricing model that "lowers the cost to deliver security services and opens the door to higher MSP margins," the companies say.
Options for MSPs include include:
- SOC Only: 24x7 Security Monitoring ONLY – No remediation
- SNOC Watch: 24x7 NOC + SOC Monitoring & Remediation + NOC Remediation
- SNOC Care: 24x7 NOC + SOC Monitoring & Remediation + NOC Remediation + NOC Proactive Maintenance
- SNOC Ignite: 24x7 NOC + SOC Monitoring & Remediation + NOC Remediation + NOC Proactive Maintenance + NOC/SOC Service Requests (MACD up to 1 hr.)
SOC for MSPs: Executive Perspectives
In a prepared statement about the partnership, IT By Design CEO Sunny Kaila said:
“We work closely with our partners to understand where they need help simplifying, automating, and shifting the engineering workload—and security was top of their wish list. Maybe you are an MSP whose team is overwhelmed by alerts and incidents, or you’re struggling to find security talents, or perhaps the cost of security solutions is hampering your scalability—no matter the reason, we can help with this flexible solution. Together with our trusted partner, SKOUT, we are merging security specialists, a singular dashboard, and our MSP experience to provide our partners with a complete SNOC solution."
Added Aidan Kehoe, founder and CEO of SKOUT Cybersecurity:
“We’ve been focused on protecting SMBs since day one, putting their needs first and striving to make cybersecurity easy for our MSP partners—sharing the same commitment to the MSP channel as IT By Design. In fact, one reason we are excited about the partnership with ITBD is the alignment between their company mission and culture and our own. Our new partnership with ITBD allows us to protect more businesses and deliver an enhanced opportunity to take advantage of cyber-as-a-service.”
The Race to Offer MSP-friendly SOC Services
The ITBD Shield launch comes as MSPs seek to coordinate their IT service desk, NOC and cybersecurity services. Among the key market challenges: Most small MSPs can't afford to build and staff their own SOCs.
Multiple vendors are striving to tackle that challenge for MSPs.
Recent examples include:
- ConnectWise: The company earlier this week acquired Perch Security and StratoZen. The move allows ConnectWise to further extend from IT service desk and NOC services for MSPs into SOC and SIEM (security information and event management) capabilities for MSPs. The ConnectWise security portfolio will make MSPs more efficient by driving down false positives and giving partners a “do it yourself” approach that wasn’t previously available in the managed security services sector, ConnectWise VP of Security Products Brian Downey told ChannelE2E.
- SOCaaS: Dozens of companies have developed SOC as a Service (SOCaaS) options for MSPs and MSSPs. The moves including expansive venture capital funding, M&A and strategic alliance deals. See complete SOCaaS for MSP and MSSP coverage on MSSP Alert.
More About IT By Design, Skout Cybersecurity
Meanwhile, both IT By Design and Skout Cybersecurity have extensive experience working with MSPs.
During IT By Design's virtual conference in September 2020, the company launched multiple services to help MSPs accelerate their businesses.
Also of note: Skout raised added $25 million in Series B funding led by growth equity firm ClearSky in September 2019. Around the same time, Skout hired Datto veteran Mike Hanauer as chief revenue officer.
