From small startups to multinational corporations, no organization is immune to the all-seeing eye of hackers and cybercriminals.

By 2025, cybercrime is projected to cause global damages of $10.5 trillion, surpassing many countries’ GDP. Businesses face an average of 130 security breaches each year, with each incident potentially costing millions of dollars in recovery, lost business, and reputational damage. 

Many regulations and standards, including the CIS Critical Security Controls, aim to help businesses protect themselves against cyber risks. Although these regulations provide essential guidelines for protection, implementing them can be complex and time-consuming. Hence, many organizations turn to MSPs/MSSPs to help them roll out and adhere to regulations like CIS and others. 

What are CIS critical security controls?

The Center for Internet Security (CIS), a non-profit organization, created the CIS Critical Security Controls to help organizations strengthen their cybersecurity defenses. The most recent version of the Controls is V8, which was established in 2018. 

The Controls offer a practical and effective roadmap to identify and address vulnerabilities, reducing the risk of cyber attacks. Implementing these controls strengthens organizations’ security postures and protects systems and data, fostering trust among stakeholders and clients.

What are CIS Implementation Groups (IGs)?

The CIS Controls are divided into three Implementation Groups (IGs) to help organizations prioritize implementation based on their size, resources, and specific risk profile. Generally, CIS recommends:

• IG1: Covers essential cyber hygiene practices to protect against common attack vectors. Designed for small and medium-sized businesses with limited cybersecurity knowledge and resources. 

• IG2: Expands on IG1 with more recommendations applicable to larger organizations with complex operational environments and higher risk profiles. It’s also a step up from IG1 in terms of the resources and time investment required to implement.

• IG3: Includes safeguards and recommendations to protect against sophisticated attacks. IG3 is most relevant for organizations with mature cybersecurity programs, sensitive data, and strict regulatory requirements to follow. 

Source

Why are the CIS critical security controls important?

1. Simplified Compliance

Many industry and government regulations align with the CIS Controls, a win-win for organizations’ compliance efforts. MSPs and MSSPs can support clients in implementing the security Controls, which streamlines clients’ compliance efforts and demonstrates their commitment to security standards.

2. Proactive Risk Management

The CIS Controls emphasize preventive risk management rather than reactive, helping your clients stay ahead of emerging threats and minimize potential damage. MSPs/MSSPs can leverage this proactive approach to differentiate themselves from competitors as trusted security advisors.

3. Cost Savings

The CIS Controls can help your clients avoid costly downtime, legal fees, and reputational damage by preventing security incidents and data breaches. Highlighting these potential cost savings can attract budget-conscious clients and demonstrate the return on investment of security services.

Source

The 18 CIS Critical Security Controls Listed

1. Inventory and Control of Enterprise Assets

Knowing what’s on your client’s network is the first step in protecting it. You can actively manage all hardware and software assets on your client’s network, ensuring that only authorized devices and software are given access. Automated asset discovery tools can help maintain an up-to-date inventory, and regular software installation audits are also necessary to remove unauthorized applications.

2. Inventory and Control of Software Assets

Next up, you need to actively manage all software on the client’s network so that only authorized software can be installed and executed. Application whitelisting can prevent unauthorized software from running. Of course, keeping software patched and up-to-date mitigates vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit.

3. Data Protection

You can advise clients to encrypt sensitive data at rest and in transit, which adds a layer of security that makes it difficult for attackers to access the data even if they gain access to the system. Implementing strong access controls is also a go-to to prevent unauthorized access.

4. Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software

Your clients must establish and maintain secure configurations for all authorized devices and software, including developing and enforcing configuration standards for operating systems, applications, and network devices. As an MSP/MSSP, you can regularly audit configurations to ensure compliance with these standards and help identify any misconfigurations attackers could exploit.

5. Account Management

You can guide your clients in assigning and managing the authorization and authentication of all accounts, such as strong password policies. Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide multiple forms of identification before accessing sensitive systems or data.

6. Access Control Management

Clients should control access to critical assets based on the least privilege and need-to-know principles. Role-based access control (RBAC) can restrict access based on job function. Plus, MSPs/MSSPs can regularly review and update clients’ access permissions to ensure access remains appropriate as roles and responsibilities change.

Source

7. Continuous Vulnerability Management

As an MSP/MSSP, it’s your responsibility to assess and remediate vulnerabilities in your clients’ systems and applications. Tools for vulnerability scanning can help you pinpoint vulnerabilities, and it’s crucial to prioritize remediation according to the risk level.

8. Audit Log Management

Collecting, managing, and analyzing event audit logs helps clients detect, understand, or recover from attacks. Therefore, MSPs/MSSPs can advise clients that centralizing log collection and storage is recommended. Log analysis tools can help identify suspicious activity indicating an ongoing or attempted attack.

9. Email and Web Browser Protections

MSPs/MSSPs must guide clients in improving threat detection of email and web vectors using strategies like email filtering and web application firewalls (WAFs). Web filtering can block access to malicious websites, preventing users from inadvertently downloading malware or exposing sensitive information.

10. Malware Defenses

Controlling malicious code installation, spread, and execution is paramount. Using antivirus and anti-malware software, keeping software patched and up-to-date, and educating users about safe computing practices can help achieve malware defense. 

11. Data Recovery

MSPs/MSSPs can establish and maintain data recovery practices sufficient to restore clients’ assets to a pre-incident state. Maintaining regular backups of critical data is crucial to guarantee recovery in case of a system failure, data corruption, or cyber attack, and you should always test the backups to check their ability to restore successfully. 

12. Network Infrastructure Management

Ensure that only authorized devices can access the client’s network by actively managing (tracking, reporting, and correcting) all devices. Network mapping tools can identify all network devices, including unauthorized or rogue ones. Segmenting the network helps isolate critical assets, limiting the potential damage from a security breach.

13. Network Monitoring and Defense

MSPs/MSSPs can help clients implement the Controls by maintaining comprehensive network monitoring and defense against security threats. For example, intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) monitor network traffic for suspicious activity like fraud risks, alerting security teams to potential threats.

Source

14. Security Awareness and Skills Training

Your clients must establish and maintain a security awareness program to influence employees’ behavior and equip them with the necessary skills to reduce cybersecurity risks. MSPs/MSSPs can recommend phishing simulations that assess employees’ awareness and preparedness, pinpointing areas requiring further training.

15. Service Provider Management

MSPs/MSSPs can help clients develop a process to assess, manage, and monitor risks associated with using cloud providers. Monitoring cloud provider security practices is necessary to ensure they meet your client’s security requirements.

16. Application Software Security

Clients might rely on MSPs/MSSPs to manage the security life cycle of all in-house-developed and acquired software. If so, you can guide them in using practices during software development to minimize the introduction of vulnerabilities. Before releasing the software into production, it is crucial to conduct software security testing to identify and fix any vulnerabilities.

17. Incident Response Management

MSPs/MSSPs can support clients in establishing and maintaining an incident response capability that enables a timely and effective response to detected security events. For example, you can provide an incident response plan outlining the necessary actions during a security incident and conduct regular incident response drills to ensure your client’s team is prepared to respond effectively.

18. Penetration Testing

Test the effectiveness of your client’s security controls by simulating attacks against their information systems. Strategies include conducting regular penetration tests to uncover vulnerabilities that other security measures might miss and using the results to enhance security controls and fortify the organization’s overall security posture.

Implement the CIS Controls and More With Cynomi

The threat of cyber attacks is a constant concern for businesses of all sizes. The CIS Critical Security Controls provide a comprehensive framework for organizations to strengthen their defenses and protect their valuable assets. 

Cynomi’s AI-powered vCISO platform continuously analyzes your clients’ cyber profiles against the latest threat intelligence and industry frameworks, such as the CIS Controls, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and ISO 27001. With Cynomi, MSPs/MSSPs gain the insights and tools needed to stay ahead of the curve. With automated assessments, automatic mapping of controls, customized policies, and actionable recommendations, Cynomi empowers you to deliver comprehensive cybersecurity solutions that drive business growth and instill confidence in your clients.

Book a Demo today to explore how Cynomi can help you deliver compliance assessments in line with standards like CIS and more. 

Predicting cyber attacks is like trying to fish for the first time. You can follow all the best practices recommended by expert fishermen, buy an expensive line, choose the right time of year… and you may still come home empty-handed. 

Risk management is complicated, to say the least. For this reason, 93% of organizations expect to increase cybersecurity spending over the next year, many of whom turn to MSPs/MSSPs to handle their risk. To tackle this, most MSPs/MSSPs will likely use a risk assessment software solution to help streamline and automate the task of monitoring risk, reducing the potential for human error and improving accuracy.

What are risk assessment software solutions?

Risk assessment software encompasses platforms and tools designed to help MSPs and MSSPs provide clients with more efficient and in-depth risk assessment services. The software often follows a typical risk assessment template including components such as:

• Purpose of the assessment
• Scope of the assessment 
• Asset and resource inventory 
• Threat landscape evaluation 
• Likelihood of impact 
• Risk score calculation 
• Prioritization of mitigation efforts 

Traditional and manual risk assessments are time-consuming and are prone to errors. They can put pressure on your existing resources and team. In order to scale your service offerings, you can use risk assessment software to automate many processes, including asset categorization, task prioritization, and reporting. 

Types of Risk Assessment Software Solutions

There are many types of risk assessment software solutions for service providers, and they can be grouped into a few core categories.

• Governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platforms: GRC solutions establish risk assessments and other processes, like policy enforcement, so MSPs/MSSPs can help clients manage risk across the board. 
• vCISO platforms: A virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) platform provides risk assessments as part of built-in strategic leadership and ongoing cybersecurity monitoring features. 
• Risk management software: Risk management software helps MSPs/MSSPs track risk and mitigation measures in one platform. It usually includes risk assessment capabilities plus controls and audits. 

The Value Risk Assessment Software Provides

• Managing the security posture: Risk assessment software helps you accurately and efficiently identify gaps in your clients’ security postures and ensure risk management measures align with current and future threat detection.
• Increase upsells: MSPs/MSSPs use risk assessment recommendations and data to substantiate service upsells to clients. 
• Automation: Traditional risk assessment processes can be time-consuming and require significant resources. Using risk assessment software to automate the process, MSPs/MSSPs can efficiently scale and deliver assessments without needing additional resources. 

Source

Key Features to Look For in a Risk Assessment Software Solution

• • Covers security and compliance: Most risk assessment software solutions only cover compliance requirements, so ensure you choose one that also includes security features like policy generation. 
  • Task management optimization: The most encompassing solutions will offer visibility overall risk assessment tasks and their impact on the overall security posture, giving you more visibility and enhancing productivity.
  • User-friendly dashboard: An easy-to-use dashboard helps your team clearly present digestible information, such as reports and risk assessment results, to clients, demonstrate the value, and improve communication. 
  • Personalized results: Ideally, the tool will perform the risk assessment in a personalized and dynamic risk assessment way, which is better suited for an ever-evolving risk landscape and attack surface. This innovative feature enables you to continuously and actively identify your clients’ individual security gaps. 

10 Top Risk Assessment Software Solutions 

1. Apptega

Source

Apptega’s governance, risk, and compliance (GRC) platform automates risk assessment, risk management, and policy creation processes. It also allows you to cross-reference requirements across different frameworks. 

Main features:

• AI-powered recommendations for risk management. 
• Comprehensive community support is available. 
• Centralized dashboard. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs new to offering compliance services and require a simple yet effective solution. 

Price:  Three pricing tiers: Starter, Advanced, and Premium.

2. Cynomi

Cynomi is an AI-powered vCISO platform designed to help MSPs/MSSPs provide and demonstrate the value of compliance and security services. Cynomi’s comprehensive risk assessments help differentiate service providers from competitors without developing in-house risk assessment expertise or scaling their existing resources. It includes a built-in customer-facing reporting suite, making showing clients the risk assessment results and progress easy. 

Main features:

• Automatically generates a tailor-made set of security policies based on the risk assessment.
• Provides built-in intuitive and tailored questionnaires for each client. 
• Cynomi’s proprietary AI algorithm creates remediation tasks, analyzes their relevancy and impact, and generates a CISO-like, prioritized task list.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking to scale and elevate their risk assessment service offerings with minimal labor and resource investment.  

Price: By inquiry. 

3. RapidFireTools

Source

GRC solution RapidFireTools automates compliance assessment and management tasks. You can automate and schedule scans for continuous risk assessments and get handy reports at the click of a button.

Main features:

• Built-in IT security awareness risk assessment training to help users understand risk policy documents. 
• Provides risk remediation guidance. 
• Generates automated risk assessment reports, policies, and procedure manuals. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking to kill two birds with one stone and offer a risk assessment tool with built-in user education features. 

Price: By inquiry. 

4. Secureframe

Source

Secureframe is a compliance automation platform that provides step-by-step risk assessment processes. It supports key compliance frameworks, including PCI and SOC 2, required for risk assessments. 

Main features:

• Secureframe Knowledge Base is a built-in knowledge management feature for building in-house compliance expertise. 
• The Comply AI feature automates risk score calculations. 
• AI-powered risk management recommendations. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking for a balance of risk assessment automation and manual intervention. 

Price: By inquiry. 

5. ConnectWise Identify

Source

ConnectWise Identify offers a variety of risk assessment options, including risk scans, in-depth assessments, and self-serve assessments. The risk assessments are based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. 

Main features:

• Uses heat maps to provide a visual representation of vulnerabilities.
• Integrates with other ConnectWise products like PSA. 
• Provides a holistic view of all risk assessments across your entire client base. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs who already use ConnectWise products and services. 

Price: By inquiry.  

6. SightGain

Source

SightGain is a threat exposure management platform that offers automated cybersecurity and risk assessments. It continues to run autonomous assessments in real time. 

Main features:

• Includes cyber risk quantification features to suggest the best security investments per client. 
• Automated and continuous compliance monitoring according to frameworks like ISO 27001.
• Uses real time SOC data for risk assessments and analysis.  

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking to continuously monitor clients’ risk posture. 

Price: By inquiry.  

7. RiskWatch Risk Assessment

Source

The RiskWatch software streamlines the assessment process and uses automated analysis to highlight security gaps. It includes key features like risk scoring and dashboard analytics. 

Main features:

• Suggests workflow optimizations to help your clients pass audits and gain compliance faster. 
• Add or change custom libraries, plus any regulations like PCI DSS.
• Tailor risk assessments to single or multiple frameworks. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking for a flexible solution that allows you to easily add or remove risk assessment frameworks.  

Price: By inquiry. 

8. Vanta

Source

Vanta is a compliance platform that automates risk management processes, including risk assessments. It is designed to help MSPs and MSSPs manage risk and tasks related to security and privacy frameworks. 

Main features:

• Analyzes past risk assessment questionnaires to build a knowledge base of your client’s security posture. 
• Auto-generates key documents required for risk assessment and compliance processes, e.g., the ‘System Description’ required by SOC 2.
• Includes a risk scenario library. 

Best for: Vanta is ideal for SaaS businesses or MSP/MSSPs with SaaS clients. 

Price: Three pricing tiers: Core, Collaborate, and Scale. 

9. RiskPal

Source

RiskPal automates risk assessment workflow to help you create, manage, and retain risk assessments. It is user-friendly and simple to configure, helping MSPs/MSSPs generate risk assessments quickly. 

Main features:

• Provides a library of risk assessment templates and advice. 
• Resilient cloud and application architecture for data security. 
• Option to design and create your own risk assessment templates. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs simply looking for a straightforward tool to generate risk assessments without bells and whistles.

Price: Four pricing tiers: Micro (up to ten users), SME (up to fifty users), Corporate (up to 250 users), and Enterprise (custom).

10. SAP Risk Management

Source

With SAP Risk Management software, you can create risk assessments, monitor clients’ risk levels, and define risk-relevant business activities for your clients. 

Main features:

• On-premise or cloud deployment.
• Set up client-specific organizational risk hierarchies. 
• Includes quantitative risk assessment and qualitative risk analysis features to support risk assessments. 

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs that require more visibility and insight into the context behind risk assessment results. 

Price: By inquiry. 

Overall Recommendation: Cynomi, One Platform For Risk Assessment & Automation 

Risk assessment software is an integral part of any suite of MSP/MSSP services. In a world where your clients cannot totally eliminate risk, you must stay on top of new frameworks, best practices, and innovative tools. 

Yet, creating and performing a risk assessment for each client is time-consuming and requires expertise and resources that your organization may not currently have access to. Cynomi provides everything your organization needs and wants in a risk assessment tool. Most importantly, Cynomi is specific for MSPs/MSSPs, combining all the automation capabilities you need to reach both security and compliance goals with your clients. 

Request a demo today to discover how Cynomi can help MSPs/MSSPs offer high-quality, automated, and effective risk assessment services to your clients. 

On behalf of all of us at Cynomi, I am excited to share this announcement with you today. Thanks to overwhelming demand and remarkable growth, we’re thrilled to launch the first international vCISO Directory with enhanced functionality, and many new additions.

Initially featuring vCISOs only in North America, the directory has now expanded globally by 121%. It now includes experts from the UK and Canada, becoming a more comprehensive resource for small and medium businesses worldwide. This expansion highlights the growing trend of MSPs and MSSPs offering vCISO services and marks an important step forward for the cybersecurity industry.

Given the growing demands for cybersecurity and compliance, more MSPs and MSSPs are offering vCISO services. Currently, only 19% of these providers offer vCISO services, but this figure is projected to rise to 86% by the end of 2024, indicating a fivefold increase in adoption.

This growth is driven, in part, by the increasing need for SMBs and mid-market companies to strengthen their cybersecurity postures without the high costs associated with full-time CISOs. More and more SMBs are recognizing the advantage of hiring a vCISO to address their security needs. However, finding the right service provider can be challenging. Our directory simplifies this process by helping SMEs find qualified vCISO service providers and make informed decisions.

At Cynomi, our mission is to empower every organization with CISO-level security. This updated directory is a key component of that mission. By building this hub for the vCISO ecosystem, we make it easier for organizations across the globe to access their trusted cyber service providers, fortifying their defenses and promoting a secure digital environment for all.

If you’re not yet part of the vCISO Directory and want to join this distinguished network of professionals, with more potential clients and gain access to exclusive members-only benefits.

Together, we will transform the cybersecurity landscape on a global scale, elevating the defenses of organizations everywhere and navigating them through the most complex threats of our time.

It’s no longer a question of if an attack will happen but when. Imagine waking up to find your client’s data locked behind a ransomware paywall or seeing their website is down due to a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. 

What were once worst-case scenarios are now common disasters, so it’s unsurprising that the annual average cost of cybercrime is predicted to hit more than $23 trillion by 2027. As a result, many MSPs and MSSPs are turning to robust incident response tools to support them in detecting, investigating, and responding to security incidents efficiently.

What are incident response tools?

Cybersecurity incident response tools are programs designed to help you identify, assess, and counteract threats. They reduce the time threats remain hidden and mitigate their impact as early as possible. MSPs and MSSPs use incident response tools as part of their MSP software toolkit to rapidly respond to security incidents across multiple clients, improving trust and ensuring security.

Advantages of Using Incident Response Tools

• Rapid Incident Detection: Incident response tools offer real-time monitoring and alerting capabilities, allowing MSPs/MSSPs to detect threats quickly. This early detection is crucial for preventing potential damage and maintaining the trust of your clients.
• Incident Prioritization: The tools can sort events and match severity, allowing better handling of critical issues before they escalate into huge problems. Prioritization is essential even in the early stages of risk assessment and incident forecasting. 
• Streamlined Communication: Incident response tools often include features that facilitate effective communication between the IR team and stakeholders. It ensures everyone is informed about the situation and understands their roles and responsibilities.
• Automation: Automate incident responses to reduce the number of tasks and responses that IT teams need to complete. Hence, you can handle more incidents with the same effort and your current resources. 

Source

Key Features to Look For in an Incident Response Tool

• Real-time monitoring and alerts enable early threat detection, allowing MSPs/MSSPs to respond quickly and minimize potential damage.
• Incident management and prioritization allocate resources efficiently to highlight the most pressing security concerns.
• Automated response capabilities take care of initial threat and dynamic risk assessments, notification, and mitigation.
• Detailed reporting and analytics, plus comprehensive reporting and analytics features, help MSPs/MSSPs understand the nature and impact of security incidents.
• Integration with other security tools improves operational functionality.

Essential Questions to Ask Before Choosing an Incident Response Tool

• Does the tool integrate with your existing security infrastructure?
• What level of automation does the tool provide for incident detection and response?
• How scalable is the tool to meet your growing needs?
• What type of reporting and analytics capabilities does the tool offer?
• What is the total cost of ownership, including licensing, maintenance, and support?

Top 10 Incident Response Tools

1. Splunk Enterprise Security

Source

Splunk Enterprise Security is a comprehensive platform designed for security teams to quickly detect, investigate, and respond to advanced threats.

Features

• Real-time monitoring.
• Offers structured workflows and tools for investigations.
• Integrates with external threat intelligence sources to enhance threat detection capabilities.
• Uses machine learning to identify patterns and anomalies indicative of security threats.
• Provides customized dashboards and reports to visualize security posture and incident trends.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs of all sizes looking for real-time monitoring features.

Pricing: Splunk offers flexible pricing models to suit various business needs.

2. ASGARD Management Center

Source

ASGARD Management Center is a lightweight endpoint detection and response (EDR) tool designed for threat detection and incident response in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and individual users.

Features

• Detects and analyzes malware behavior on endpoints.
• Monitors for indicators of compromise to identify potential security incidents.
• Conducts proactive threat hunting to identify hidden threats.
• Monitors changes in critical system files for suspicious activities.
• Enables remote forensic investigations of endpoints.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs and individual users looking for a lightweight EDR solution.

Price: Lite products are free, and you can get other products by inquiry.

3. ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer

Source

ManageEngine EventLog Analyzer is an SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tool for comprehensive incident response management and log analysis.

Features

• Collects and correlates logs from various sources to identify security incidents.
• Monitors events in real-time for immediate threat detection.
• Provides automated incident detection and response capabilities.
• Generates compliance reports to meet regulatory requirements.
• Monitors user activity to detect anomalies and insider threats.

Best for: Suitable for MSPs/MSSPs of all sizes looking for an integrated SIEM solution for incident response and log management.

Price: Offers three pricing plans: Free, Premium, and Distributed.

4. BlackPoint Cyber SNAP-Defense

Source

BlackPoint Cyber SNAP-Defense is a managed detection and response (MDR) solution that provides proactive cybersecurity protection through real-time threat detection and response capabilities.

Features

• Real-time security monitoring.
• Rapid response to security incidents with automated actions.
• Use behavioral analysis to identify anomalous activities and potential threats.
• Conducts detailed forensic analysis to understand the scope and impact of security incidents.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs seeking an MDR solution combining automated threat detection and expert-driven incident response capabilities.

Price: By inquiry.

5. Cisco SecureX

Source

Cisco SecureX is an integrated security platform that provides unified visibility, automation, and orchestration across your clients’ security infrastructure.

Features

• Centralized visibility across network, endpoint, cloud, and applications.
• Automates response workflows and orchestrates security operations.
• Integrates with threat intelligence feeds for enhanced threat detection.
• Enables fast incident investigation and response through automated actions.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking for a centralized dashboard to manage security operations, threat detection, and response capabilities.

Price: By inquiry.

Top 5 Incident Response Services

6. ArcticWolf CyberSOC

Source

ArcticWolf CyberSOC is a managed detection and response (MDR) service that provides comprehensive cybersecurity protection by combining human expertise with machine intelligence.

Features

• 24/7 monitoring of network traffic and endpoints for threats.
• Real-time detection and response to security incidents.
• Proactive searching and scanning for vulnerabilities and hidden threats.
• Analyzes user and entity behavior to detect anomalies.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs seeking a managed cybersecurity service that combines human expertise with AI-driven analytics.

Price: By inquiry.

7. Cysiv SOC-as-a-service

Source

Cysiv SOC-as-a-service is a managed security operations center (SOC) solution that provides continuous threat monitoring, detection, and response capabilities.

Features

• Continuous monitoring of security events and incidents.
• Real-time detection and response to security threats.
• Integration with threat intelligence feeds for enhanced detection capabilities.
• Conducts detailed forensic analysis of security incidents.
• Generates compliance reports based on security events and incidents.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking for 24/7 threat detection and response without an in-house SOC.

Price: By inquiry. 

8. Heimdal XDR

Source

Heimdal XDR (Extended Detection and Response) is a managed cybersecurity solution that detects and responds to advanced threats across endpoints and networks.

Features

• Monitors and responds to threats in real-time.
• Provides comprehensive EDR capabilities to detect, investigate, and remediate endpoint threats.
• Analyzes network traffic to identify anomalies and potential security breaches.
• Uses automated workflows to streamline the incident response process.
• Uses external threat intelligence to enhance the detection and understanding of new and emerging threats.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking for a managed XDR solution that combines endpoint and network security.

Pricing: By inquiry. 

9. Sophos

Source

The Sophos incident response service is offered in two forms: a retainer service and a rapid response service. The retainer service provides clients with immediate access to a team of incident response experts, and the rapid response option is designed to monitor threat occurrence. 

Features

• Immediate identification and neutralization of active threats. 
• 24/7 access to a team of security experts. 
• Discounted pricing on fixed-fee incident response services.
• Compatible managed detection and response (MDR) service providing 24/7 monitoring. 
• Remediation guidance. 

Best for: Smaller MSPs/MSSPs looking for a hands-off approach with their IR vendor. With Sophos, you can pay a subscription and not worry about IR for a whole year. 

Pricing: The incident response retainer service is an annual subscription, and other pricing is by inquiry. 

10. Check Point Incident Response

Source

Check Point Incident Response is a service that helps MSPs/MSSPs respond to cyberattacks. It includes a hotline, forensic analysis, and recommendations to improve security controls.

Features

• 24/7 hotline enables you to contact the team at any time. 
• Continuous forensic system analysis. 
• Extensive documentation and best practices guidance provided. 
• Remediation recommendations offered using real-time data. 
• Custom security controls, including custom signatures, traffic and attack analysis, rule-based protection activations, customized protections, and third-party systems and service provider protection.

Best for: MSPs/MSSPs looking for peace of mind through 24/7 incident response hotline availability. 

Pricing: By inquiry. 

Build Your Incident Response Policy

Each tool discussed above offers unique features to help you detect, respond to, and mitigate security incidents effectively. However, managing incident response can be complex and resource-intensive. MSPs/MSSPs often struggle with high operational costs, scalability constraints, and the need for specialized cybersecurity expertise. This is where Cynomi can make a significant difference.

Cynomi is an automated vCISO platform that combines proprietary AI algorithms with CISO-level knowledge. It provides a built-in incident response policy template to support your incident response, compliance, and security efforts. Our platform performs automated readiness assessments for each of your clients, then creates actionable plans and clear policies with a prioritized task list to help MSPs/MSSPs achieve compliance while tracking client progress. 

Offering incident response as part of your comprehensive set of services is a must for growing and scaling your MSP/MSSP business. Cynomi supports policy creation and provides clear reporting to help you communicate progress to clients and stakeholders, prove value, and generate upsell opportunities.

Discover how Cynomi can enhance your incident response strategies by scheduling a Demo today.