Managed Security Service Provider

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What Does Managed Security Service Provider Mean?

A managed security service provider (MSSP) is a type of service provider that provisions remote software/hardware-based information or network security services to an organization. A MSSP hosts, deploys and manages a security infrastructure, simultaneously providing information security (IS) services to one or more clients.

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Techopedia Explains Managed Security Service Provider

A MSSP provides a suite of IS services, including virus scanning, spam blocking, hardware/software firewall integration/management and overall security monitoring/management. A MSSP connects with an enterprise IT infrastructure through the Internet or a virtual private network (VPN) and has access to the enterprise’s key security and operational IT components, while a client accesses a MSSP platform interface to analyze and review the overall security architecture state.

A MSSP performs routine security scans, penetration and vulnerability testing and other security management processes on behalf of an organization. In most cases, a MSSP owns and operates security resources, like antivirus, malware detection and firewall software. However, an organization may utilize in-house security resources, outsourcing only its security management and business processes to an MSSP.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.