The benefits of moving security management to the cloud

In an increasingly networked world, organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to defend their complex mix of on-premise and cloud systems from attack.

By managing security from the cloud with WithSecure Elements, you can gain full visibility of what’s happening across your IT estate through a single management console, instant access to the latest defense technologies, and help from our experts when you need it most – all for a manageable, usage-based cost. Read on to learn more.

Many organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to manage security. Amid the ongoing shift to the cloud, and the explosion of remote working during the pandemic, traditional systems and processes are no longer adequate to defend against a growing number of threats. With a complex mix of cloud and on-premise services to manage and configure – as well as a profusion of remote devices outside your network accessing systems and data – there are far more potential points of entry for attackers.

 

WithSecure Elements is our flexible, modular solution for managing security from the cloud, comprising endpoint protection (EPP), endpoint detection and response (EDR), vulnerability management, and protection for cloud collaboration platforms such as Microsoft 365

 

A single portal in the cloud for improved visibility

If you can’t see what’s happening on your network, you can’t protect it effectively. By using WithSecure Elements to manage security from the cloud, you gain full visibility of both your cloud and on-premise systems through a single-pane dashboard. That makes it far easier to spot anything suspicious and stop attacks before they do any damage – whether that’s a vulnerability on a host, suspicious activity on a remote device, malware uploaded to a cloud collaboration platform, or anything else.

Being able to see what’s happening across your entire network through a single, cloud-based portal also makes it far simpler to stop attacks that may be targeting different parts of your network simultaneously. WithSecure Elements’ unified management portal lets you easily correlate activity across your various systems, as well as drilling down into details and specifics. We also offer API integration with a wide variety of third-party systems so you can pull data as needed from Elements’ cloud security management platform into other tools you may be using, such as security information and event management (SIEM) or asset management solutions.

 

Instantly enable additional capabilities

If you manage security from the cloud with WithSecure Elements, there’s no need for lengthy implementation processes when you want to add new features and technologies. You can simply enable capabilities as required – instantly. For example, one of our customers was using WithSecure Elements for cloud malware protection and spotted something suspicious that could indicate a more serious attack. At the time, they didn’t have the level of visibility needed to investigate in sufficient detail. However, because they were already managing security from the cloud, they were able to deploy our EDR component in just a couple of clicks. This enabled them to quickly detect and eject an attacker that was preparing to trigger damaging ransomware. 

 

Up-to-date defenses – with nothing to update

As well as being able to switch on new capabilities, you no longer need to worry about updating your systems. You automatically have access to the latest threat intelligence and security technologies, including continually updated machine learning and AI models that analyze behavior and activity on your systems to flag up potential threats, even when they’ve not been seen in the wild before. Whenever we roll out an update or a new product feature, it immediately becomes available without the need for you to upgrade anything. We even push all the client updates automatically from the cloud – so you can be confident you always have optimum protection. 

 

Expert help at hand

While it’s far easier to manage security from the cloud with WithSecure Elements, sometimes you might nonetheless need a helping hand – for example, if you detect signs of a potential breach, but aren’t sure exactly what it is or the best steps to take next. 

Many cloud security providers’ involvement with customers ends at the point of deployment, but with our Elevate to WithSecure service you’re never alone. Our experts are always ready to assist you when you need help most.  Alternatively, if you want to fully outsource your security management, you can trust one of our certified Managed Service Provider partners – who can also call on the Elevate to WithSecure service if they need expert help to investigate a difficult incident at any of their managed service customers.

Indeed, partnership is at the core of WithSecure’s philosophy and extends to all our customers – from SMEs all the way to the Platinum Partners who use our technology to provide fully managed security services from the cloud. Through continuous hands-on training, our security experts ensure these partners have a full understanding of not just our portfolio, but of how attacks work, and how to use our tools and services most effectively. 

 

Pay as you use

Another major benefit of managing security from the cloud is the ability to shift to a usage-based payment model. We believe our services are for everybody, and our simple, flexible pricing reflects this. You only pay for protection when you use your devices. If you don’t use a device in a particular month, you don’t pay – for example, if a staff member is on extended leave for any reason. This flexible pricing can especially benefit organizations with seasonal or unpredictable fluctuations in staffing levels.

 

Conclusion

Because there’s no physical infrastructure to deploy, migrating security management to the cloud is quick and easy. It’s also fully scalable, from medium-sized enterprise customers all the way up to our largest managed service partners, who use the same WithSecure technologies to look after multiple organizations’ security simultaneously.

Perhaps most important of all, at this time of intense change, security management needs to be agile. Moving it to the cloud ensures you always have the best defenses in an ever-growing, ever-changing threat landscape – so you can remain productive, carry on transforming, and keep using the cloud, while always staying secure and compliant.

The all-in-one cyber security platform

Manage all your security needs from a single console. WithSecure Elements gives you the clarity, flexibility and technology you need to adapt to changing threats and business needs.

Reading time: 5 min

    Published

  • 22/03/2022