Security as a Service: Friend or foe?

February 19, 2009 Published by  SearchCIO-Midmarket.com Weekly Tech Advice Options for outsourcing security grow, offer IT budget savings Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer IT security typically has been deemed one of those services best provided in-house. But the stigma attached to outsourcing security and Security as a Service -- namely that an outsider does not know your company well enough to protect it -- may be falling away, as businesses look for more ways to cut costs. Certainly, some heavy-hitter providers believe attitudes are changing. This month, McAfee Inc. announced its new SaaS Security Business Unit. Headed by former Hewlett-Packard Co. SaaS executive Marc Olesen, the unit will oversee all McAfee products delivered over the Internet, including security scanning services, Web and email security services and remote managed host-based security software and hardware. Meanwhile, last April, IBM launched some hosted and managed services that it says help midsized businesses better manage risk and improve the security of their IT systems, all while offering cost savings over traditional products. Indeed, much of IBM's security strategy during the next 24 months will focus on moving security technologies into the cloud and expanding its managed services offerings, said Jason Hilling, an enterprise services business line executive with IBM Internet Security Systems. That includes providing some hosted implementations of technologies that once were located only at the customer premises. LEARN MORE IN THE FULL TIP   ADVERTISEMENT   SearchCompliance.com: A one-stop shop for all your compliance needs Test your compliance know-how PCI DSS Compliance Overview and Best Practices   ABOUT THIS E-NEWSLETTER This e-newsletter is published by SearchCIO-Midmarket.com, a targeted Web site from TechTarget, The IT Media ROI Experts and events company. Copyright 2009 TechTarget. All rights reserved. If you no longer wish to receive Weekly Tech Advice from SearchCIO-Midmarket.com go to unsubscribe: http://searchCIO-Midmarket.techtarget.com/u?track=NL-974&em=sekhargreen%40gmail.com&uid=4946246&eid=689231& Please note, unsubscribe requests may take up to 24 hours to process; you may receive additional mailings during that time. A confirmation e-mail will be sent when your request has been successfully processed. Contact Us: SearchCIO-Midmarket.com Member Services 117 Kendrick Street, Suite 800 Needham, MA 02494