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Internet Security Systems is commonly mentioned as one of the premier managed security services providers (MSSPs). It is one of the most profitable security companies in the industry, and has developed some of the best-known security software on the market. President and CEO Tom Noonan recently spoke with Senior Writer Brian Ploskina.
Is it possible that there could be so many MSSPs and all of them know what theyre doing?
Ouch. I couldnt imagine that. What I think the broader market is learning . . . is this is pretty easy to do for eight or 10 customers. But when you get to 100 and then 200, the investment in infrastructure is exponential — and thats a different problem to solve than getting some security expert to monitor one intrusion detection system.
If you ran another type of business, what would be the first attribute you would look for in an MSSP?
I would look for brand. The next thing would be: Do they actually have a robust customer base in this area — or is this just something theyre going to try and do on a smaller scale and do you want to be their experiment?
Some say you shouldnt buy managed security from a company that uses its own software.
What the customer is buying is a service level. Our philosophy is giving the customer the best there is, which has been — for the past six years, consistently — us.