Cybersecurity has become a 24/7, fast-moving discipline, yet many mid-market organizations are still trying to cover it with a lean internal team and a stack of tools. It’s becoming an unsustainable challenge due to high costs, the constant struggle to find specialized talent and the need for continuous upgrades.
This gap is why mid-size companies are increasingly relying on managed partners for core security capabilities.
If you’re a CIO, CEO or CFO considering the move from entirely in-house security to a managed IT security model, the good news is, this transition doesn’t have to be disruptive. With the right approach, it can actually increase control, reduce risk and free internal talent to focus on strategic priorities.
Let’s take a look at how to make the shift smoothly and effectively.
Read: Transitioning to an Outsourced IT Provider
Why Organizations Are Moving to Managed Security
Most leaders outsource security because they need more coverage and certainty than an internal team can realistically provide on its own. Managed security models can combine an internal team’s business context with an external partner’s scale, tools and specialized expertise.
Common drivers include:
- Growing cyber threats: In-house teams often struggle to keep pace with evolving attack vectors and cyber threats.
- 24/7 monitoring: 24/7 threat monitoring is hard to staff internally. Attackers don’t respect business hours, and internal coverage is expensive to build and maintain.
- Tool sprawl and alert fatigue: Internal teams often spend more time tuning and chasing alerts than proactively improving defenses.
- Skills gaps and retention risk: Hiring and keeping specialized security talent is a persistent challenge for mid-size markets, often resulting in reactive protection.
- Insurance and compliance pressure: Regulators and cyber insurers increasingly expect mature controls and evidence of constant monitoring.
- Cost efficiency: Outsourcing reduces expensive overhead while providing predictable monthly expenses that businesses can plan and budget for.
Step 1: Assess Your Current State and Define Your Needs
Before you engage with any external provider, you need a crystal-clear understanding of your current environment and what you hope to achieve.
- Conduct a thorough audit: Document all your current IT assets, including hardware, software, licenses and cloud services. Critically evaluate your current security posture. Identify all vulnerabilities, compliance gaps and areas where your current in-house team lacks expertise or capacity.
- Define your goals: What is the primary motivation for this change? Are you looking to replace unpredictable IT expenses with a predictable monthly fee? Do you need enhanced security, like 24/7 monitoring, quicker incident response or access to more specialized tools? Do you want your internal team to shift its focus from day-to-day maintenance to core business initiatives?
Step 2: Determine the Right Managed Security Partner
Choosing a managed security partner is one of the most crucial steps, as they will become an extension of your company. Will you pursue a full-scale outsourcing model or a hybrid approach where the security partner handles specialized tasks while your internal staff manages daily operations?
- Evaluate experience and specialization: Look for a provider with a proven track record, particularly with businesses in your industry and of your size. Ensure they have the necessary expertise in the security domains you need most. Review their certifications and ask for references and case studies to validate their track record.
- Clarify service level agreements (SLAs): The SLA is your guarantee. Clearly define expected response times for different severities of incidents, system uptime guarantees and reporting frequency.
Step 3: Create a Detailed Transition Roadmap
A well-planned transition minimizes confusion, disruption and downtime. Work with your chosen managed security partner to outline a clear plan with set responsibilities. The transition only works if the internal team and managed partner know exactly who owns what. This prevents duplicate effort – or worse, haps that both sides assume the other is covering.
It’s often best to adopt a phased approach. Start with less critical components and gradually move to core services, which helps test and troubleshoot along the way. Plan for a period where the internal and managed security teams operate in parallel while transitioning.
Read: Is It Time to Replace My Internal IT Team?
Step 4: Communicate and Manage the Change with Stakeholders
Internal communication is vital for a smooth shift and to maintain employee morale. Communicate clearly with executives, IT staff and end users.
- Define roles and responsibilities: Define the primary points of contact for both teams and the frequency of updates.
- Be transparent: Clearly explain why the transition is happening and how it will benefit staff.
- Set clear metrics and reporting: Executives should insist on measurable outcomes for items like response times, uptime and compliance adherence.
Step 5: Post-Transition Monitoring and Optimization
The transition isn’t over when the service officially goes live. This is the beginning of a partnership.
- Validate and test: The managed security partner should conduct final security and compatibility testing across all systems while the company validates that the services outlined in the SLA are being delivered as promised.
- Train employees: Ensure all end-users know the new process for submitting IT/security tickets and who to contact for immediate support.
- Regular review meetings: Schedule recurring performance reviews to go over metrics like ticket resolution, incident reports and system uptime.
- Continuously optimize: Use the reporting and insights provided to identify opportunities for further security and efficiency improvements. Proactively plan for future technology needs and budget effectively.
Transition with Thriveon
Transitioning from in-house to managed IT security is a strategic decision that, when executed with clear planning and communication, can lead to stronger security, lower operational risk and a more strategic focus for your internal teams.
That’s the balance Thriveon helps leaders strike every day through Fractional CIO, proactive IT management and cybersecurity services. Request a consultation with us now for more information.